Housing ministry may start new schemes in Islamabad

Fresh projects will be in addition to existing Thaliyan Housing Scheme on M-2

ISLAMABAD: Ministry of Housing and Works will start new housing schemes in Islamabad including Thaliyan Housing Scheme on M-2 Motorway interchange.

This was stated by Minister of State for Ports and Shipping Chaudhry Jaffar Iqbal on Friday while responding to a question in Senate on behalf of minister for housing and works.

He said that Federal Government Employees Housing Foundation (FGEHF) has made a joint venture agreement with KS Developers and Builders in Mouza Moorat, Mouza Chohan and Mandowal on M-2 Motorway near Thaliyan interchange for development of housing schemes on land measuring 7,000 to 10,000 kanals.

Iqbal said that no fresh allotments had been made on basis of standard rent since 2013. He said the Supreme Court had also given a verdict not to allot any house on standard rent. “We are following the instructions of the Supreme Court” he added.

Doubtful scheme

In April this year, following up on doubts of a multibillion rupees fraud, the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) had asked authorities to freeze all bank accounts of a government-supported under-construction Thalian housing project while warning the public against investing in the scheme.

Quotas reserved

Ministry of Housing and Works has reserved 2.5 per cent quota in Housing Scheme, Sectors F-14 and F-15 (Phase-VII) for serving employees and 0.5 per cent quota for retired employees of constitutional bodies.

Plot numbers will be allocated after the balloting as per terms and conditions of the scheme, allotments had been issued to retired employees of constitutional bodies on the basis of wage-wise seniority in respect of their departments," an official in the Ministry said.

He said that allotment letters will be issued to remaining employees as per age-wise seniority on availability of plots.

To a question, the official informed that the ministry has also moved a summary to PM for increasing rental ceiling of the federal government employee's up to 70 per cent. “A summary has been submitted to the PM through Finance Division last month and notification in this regard will be issued soon after the approval,” the official said.

He said that rental ceiling for the government employees was increased by up to 35 per cent during the year 2014-15. A summary for 100 per cent increase in rental ceiling was moved through Finance Division in the year 2014-15 while the division recommended 35 per cent increase.

Published in The Express Tribune, October 28^th, 2017.