Housing communities to name focal persons
ICT formally incorporates NAB’s recommendations
ICT formally incorporates NAB’s recommendations. PHOTO: EXPRESS/FILE
ISLAMABAD:
Following recommendations from a National Accountability Bureau (NAB) prevention committee, the Islamabad Capital Territory (ICT) has directed all housing committees to appoint a focal person from amongst their respective managing committee along with an officer of the society who shall be personally liable for any lapse in applying laws.
The recommendation was part of a series of reforms suggested by the committee in the Reforms in Cooperation Department of ICT. The recommendations were presented to and approved for submission to the submission to Ministry of Interior (MoI) by NAB chief Qamar Zaman Chaudhry during a meeting at the bureau’s headquarters. Subsequently, NAB’s recommendations were included in the gazette through a notification on March 3.
Per the recommendations and subsequent notifications, management committees of all cooperative housing societies are required to appoint a focal person along with an officer of the society who shall be personally liable for any lapse in implementing the regulations.
Moreover, the focal person will also share the weekly progress report with circle registrar at the Cooperative Societies Department. In the case of non-compliance, the managing committee of the society would be held liable and action would be taken against them jointly and severally under the Cooperative Societies Act 1925.
Other recommendations by NAB’s prevention committee include the requirement that every cooperative housing society furnish details of plots including their allotment, creation, subdivision or amalgamation to the concerned municipal or development authority annually and while a copy would also be provided to the circle registrar, to certify that the society did not commit any violation of approved layout plan.
Further, every cooperative housing society would ensure strict adherence to the layout plan approved by the municipal, development authority while no transfer of shares or interests of a member would be approved unless certified by the society that no violation of layout plan has been committed by the transferor.
Every cooperative housing society shall obtain a certificate of “land audit” from the concerned authority annually to ensure the sanctity of layout plan.
A cooperative society can issue “allotment letter” or possession certificate to its members unless it has physical possession of the land.
No cooperative society can change the size or location of a plot allotted to a member without seeking specific approval from the AGM.
Before submitting the minutes of the annual general meeting (AGM) to the registrar, the housing society would have to obtain clearance from the municipal, development authority certifying that no agenda item was approved in violation of municipal by-laws.
Cooperative housing societies have been barred from launching projects unless they had possession of the compact piece of land apart from the title of the minimum required land.
Every cooperative housing society would be required to obtain prior approval from the concerned authority before advertising any project.
Every cooperative housing society would have to obtain a certificate of ‘an audit’ from the concerned authority every year to ensure the sanctity of layout plan.
All housing societies have to ensure timely completion of their on-going projects and cannot start new projects unless 70 per cent of the ongoing project has been developed.
Further, all cooperative society have been bound to complete on-going projects within five years. Failing to adhere to the timeline would mean liquidation proceedings can be initiated against a society.
Cooperative societies have also been restricted from transferring or utilising funds from one head of account to pay another head of an account of any project without the approval of the registrar.
Published in The Express Tribune, May 23rd, 2017.
Following recommendations from a National Accountability Bureau (NAB) prevention committee, the Islamabad Capital Territory (ICT) has directed all housing committees to appoint a focal person from amongst their respective managing committee along with an officer of the society who shall be personally liable for any lapse in applying laws.
The recommendation was part of a series of reforms suggested by the committee in the Reforms in Cooperation Department of ICT. The recommendations were presented to and approved for submission to the submission to Ministry of Interior (MoI) by NAB chief Qamar Zaman Chaudhry during a meeting at the bureau’s headquarters. Subsequently, NAB’s recommendations were included in the gazette through a notification on March 3.
Per the recommendations and subsequent notifications, management committees of all cooperative housing societies are required to appoint a focal person along with an officer of the society who shall be personally liable for any lapse in implementing the regulations.
Moreover, the focal person will also share the weekly progress report with circle registrar at the Cooperative Societies Department. In the case of non-compliance, the managing committee of the society would be held liable and action would be taken against them jointly and severally under the Cooperative Societies Act 1925.
Other recommendations by NAB’s prevention committee include the requirement that every cooperative housing society furnish details of plots including their allotment, creation, subdivision or amalgamation to the concerned municipal or development authority annually and while a copy would also be provided to the circle registrar, to certify that the society did not commit any violation of approved layout plan.
Further, every cooperative housing society would ensure strict adherence to the layout plan approved by the municipal, development authority while no transfer of shares or interests of a member would be approved unless certified by the society that no violation of layout plan has been committed by the transferor.
Every cooperative housing society shall obtain a certificate of “land audit” from the concerned authority annually to ensure the sanctity of layout plan.
A cooperative society can issue “allotment letter” or possession certificate to its members unless it has physical possession of the land.
No cooperative society can change the size or location of a plot allotted to a member without seeking specific approval from the AGM.
Before submitting the minutes of the annual general meeting (AGM) to the registrar, the housing society would have to obtain clearance from the municipal, development authority certifying that no agenda item was approved in violation of municipal by-laws.
Cooperative housing societies have been barred from launching projects unless they had possession of the compact piece of land apart from the title of the minimum required land.
Every cooperative housing society would be required to obtain prior approval from the concerned authority before advertising any project.
Every cooperative housing society would have to obtain a certificate of ‘an audit’ from the concerned authority every year to ensure the sanctity of layout plan.
All housing societies have to ensure timely completion of their on-going projects and cannot start new projects unless 70 per cent of the ongoing project has been developed.
Further, all cooperative society have been bound to complete on-going projects within five years. Failing to adhere to the timeline would mean liquidation proceedings can be initiated against a society.
Cooperative societies have also been restricted from transferring or utilising funds from one head of account to pay another head of an account of any project without the approval of the registrar.
Published in The Express Tribune, May 23rd, 2017.