Senior PM Office member approaches Ombudsman against D-12 plot allotments to a selected few

ISLAMABAD: A senior member of the Prime Minister’s Office has approached the Federal Ombudsman over the ‘extreme injustice’ of out of turn allotment of second residential plots in the federal capital to a selected few in the bureaucracy in a non-transparent and unjust manner.

The Federal Ombudsman will hear the case, termed ‘maladministration’ by Member PM’s Inspection Commission and former federal secretary Syed Abu Ahmad, on May 13.

Since 2007, the officers promoted to BS-22 in the federal government are entitled to receive special entitlement plots from the Federal Government Employees Housing Authority in addition to their normal service benefit plot, which means at least two residential plots in the federal capital. As reported by The News on Friday in its story “Perhaps PM doesn’t know” several federal secretaries including a few retired ones have been allotted their second residential plots in sector D-12 of Islamabad at a time when the government is really finding it hard to arrange resources to feed the poor and needy affected by the corona-hit situation.

In his complaint filed before the Federal Ombudsman, the PMIC member said that several plots have been offered in Sector D-12 out of turn to officers promoted to BS-22 in 2018 and 2019.

He said that the fact is that the last allotment offered in Sector D-12 on the basis of BS-22 entitlement were probably in 2012 or thereabouts. Thus, officers promoted in the last 6-8 years were offered in F-14/F-15 or Park Road.

“It is in common knowledge that there is a vast difference in the value of the plots in D-12 which is a developed sector that is not only ready for construction but has had people residing in it for several years. On the other hand, F-14/15 and Park Road schemes only exist in a plan that has no time line. Indeed, the case for the latter allotments is sub judice in the SCP,” the complaint said.

It added that whatever are the official reasons for the latest allotments in D-12 and whether or not approval was sought from the competent authority, this decision has adversely affected tens of officers who have not been granted such a favour (worth in the vicinity of Rs40 million).

He added that no judicious or transparent process was observed in the latest allotments. The member PMIC questioned if these plots were available with the FGEHF all these years and not offered in order of seniority, then some judicious process like a balloting should have been held with full transparency.

“It is also possible that such allotments of left-over plots contravenes CDA laws which requires all left over plots in developed schemes to be offered through public auction,” he said.

The officer said the present allotment constitutes maladministration and deserves to be considered as a case against good governance irrespective of whether it was made with or without mala fide intent.

He also prayed that the proceedings of allotment of these BS-22 entitlement plots in Sector D-12 may be stayed immediately. He clarified that he is not interested in any untoward personal financial gain as God Almighty has already blessed him with enough, but he certainly wants to see his country and its governance to be honest, equitable, transparent and just.