PHOTO: EXPRESS
ISLAMABAD: Government should take action against people usurping rights of the allottees of the National Assembly Employees Cooperative Housing Society (NAECHS), said Senator Fida Muhammad on Thursday.
Senate Functional Committee on Government Assurances Sub-Committee Convenor Senator Fida Muhammad said these employees of National Assembly were waiting for their plots for the past 20 years.
He assured the affectees of NAECHS of resolving their issue.
He lauded the efforts and experience of the Federal Minister for Parliamentary Affairs, Senator Muhammad Azam Khan Swati and said that the committee has much to learn from him. He asserted that the committee will cherish the federal minister’s advice.
While taking up the issue of the Federal Government Employees Housing Foundation (FGEHF), Jinnah Garden project, the committee reprimanded the Jinnah Garden Administration for not keeping its commitment of allotment of 101 plots within 60 days. They were also condemned for furnishing the committee with shady facts.
Squalor, misery await Afghan returnees forced out of Pakistan
FGEHF assured Senate panel of government assurances of allotting the said plots within 15 days. The committee directed the Management Committee of the NAECHS that a detailed list of all the members of the NAECHS who have deposited Rs850,000 as full and final payment for allotment of plot with date wise receipts of payment be submitted to the committee within two days.
While discussing the fate of the federal government employees, now almost all retired, who were allotted plots 20 years ago by FGEHF in Islamabad’s sectors G-13 and G-14, the sub-committee was informed that the case was sub-judice.
The housing foundation informed the committee that recently it has become an authority and it was planning to send a reference in this regard to the Ministry of Law for advice in the matter.
The convener of the committee enquired about the status of the project and the procedure being followed, in light of the judgement of the Islamabad High Court. The committee was informed that FGEHF has challenged the decision of the Islamabad High Court in the Supreme Court. The convener enquired about the efforts made by the authority hearing of the case in the Supreme Court. Federal Minister for Parliamentary Affairs Senator Swati, recommended to the Committee that a letter may be written to the Attorney General of Pakistan for provision of details of the case and requesting constitution of a new panel for an early hearing to expedite the matter.
Rudderless ship: After twenty-one months, KMC comes to life
Convened by Senator Fida Muhammad Khan, the meeting was attended by the Federal Minister for Parliamentary Affairs, Senator Azam Khan Swat, Senator Abida Muhammad Azeem and senior officers from the Ministry of Housing and Works, Ministry of Parliamentary Affairs, CDA and Islamabad District Administration.
CDA anti-encroachment drive
Capital Development Authority (CDA) during its on-going anti-encroachment drive demolished several illegal constructions and encroachments on Lehtrar Road. During this operation, 85 illegally constructed sheds, 55 signboards, 45 fruit and vegetable stalls, 18 iron stairs, 10 tandoors, seven kiosks, a construction material depot and nine illegally constructed walls were demolished.
Heavy machinery of MPO was used to demolish these encroachments while two contingents of reserve police were also deployed to prevent any untoward situation.
Meanwhile, CDA has directed its Building Control Section –II (BCS-II) to carry out inspection of private housing societies for implementation of building by-laws. In this connection, BCS-II inspected four housing societies including Jammu Kashmir Cooperative Housing Society, Cabinet Division Housing Society, Margalla View Housing Society and Multi Professional B-17 Housing Society.
It served notices to the violators while management of the housing societies was directed to ensure implementation of building by-laws and provision of civic amenities to the residents.
The societies have also been directed to ensure provision of missing facilities so that residents could be facilitated.
Illegal construction in RCB
During last two years, a plethora of illegal constructions in jurisdiction of Rawalpindi Cantonment Board (RCB) have caused a loss of millions to national treasury.
It has been revealed that litany of unauthorized residential and commercial buildings have escalated to a record-breaking figure due to negligence and collusion of building control branch.
As per a report submitted to Director Military Land & Cantonment (MLC), Faheem Zafar Khan, it was disclosed that related department issued notices to some 1080 buildings under sections 2,56 and 185 of Cantonment Act however received an unhealthy response.
The director was apprised that none of buildings built constructed sans building plans were demolished completely.
Similarly, before current director MLC had taken notice of unauthorised structures in cantonment jurisdictions, RCB Executive Officer Sibtain Raza had suspended four building checkers over the same issue. He had formed an inquiry committee on August 9 and had directed it to complete process within a week. However, the report has not been produced even after 21 days.
Meanwhile, it is expected that involved officials would face a strict action after director’s notice, who had served as Cantonment Executive Officer Rawalpindi twice in the past and during his tenure, trend of building illegal structures rapidly depleted.
Published in The Express Tribune, August 30th, 2019.
COMMENTS
Comments are moderated and generally will be posted if they are on-topic and not abusive.
For more information, please see our Comments FAQ