Slow progress on low-cost housing annoys minister

LAHORE:Provincial Minister for Housing, Urban Development and Public Health Engineering Mian Aslam Iqbal on Friday presided over a meeting in the Housing Department in which the progress of low-cost housing schemes under Naya Pakistan Housing Programme was reviewed.

Expressing concern over the lethargy in the low-cost housing schemes, the provincial minister said that delay in the welfare schemes of common man will not be tolerated under any circumstances. Low-cost housing schemes should be completed rapidly by working day and night.

The minister said that a special cell would be set up to attract overseas Pakistanis to invest in the housing sector. The provincial minister said that it is regrettable to leave the housing scheme unattended after launching and Lahore Develeopment Authority (LDA) should create a mechanism for the maintenance of its housing schemes to improve its image in the public.

The maintenance plan of housing societies should be made and adopted in LDA City and the private sector should also be included in low-cost housing schemes. The provincial minister said that priority should be given to low-cost housing schemes in divisional headquarters.

He directed to form a committee to accelerate the pace of work on low-cost housing schemes and prepare a comprehensive plan. The provincial minister was briefed by the heads of development authorities about the progress on various low-cost housing schemes in the meeting. During the briefing, it was told that 35,000 apartments will be built on an area of 8,000 kanals in LDA City.

Work is underway on low-cost housing schemes in Renala Khurd, Lodhran, Layyah and Bhakkar. Secretary Housing Shakeel Ahmed, Special Secretary, LDA Director General and officers concerned attended the meeting.

UK diplomat meets Addl CS: British High Commission Political Counsellor Zoe Ware and Political Adviser Talal Raza called on Additional Chief Secretary Home Department Captain (Retd) Asadullah Khan.

Special Secretary Interior Fazlur Rehman and Additional Secretary Judicial Farwa Aamir were also present on this occasion. Additional chief secretary congratulated Miss Zoe Ware on her appointment as political counsellor in Pakistan. Matters of mutual interest were discussed in the meeting.

The British Political Counsellor expressed satisfaction over the law and order situation in Punjab. She said that Punjab, especially Lahore, is a very important city in terms of history. The Additional Chief Secretary presented a commemorative shield to the UK Political Counsellor on behalf of the Punjab Home Department.