FGEHF sees end in sight to Sector G-14 conundrum

Hopes for all issues to be resolved by end of April, pay inhabitants for BUP by end of March

ISLAMABAD: Over 15 years after the project started, the Federal Government Employees Housing Foundation (FGEHF) is seeing the light at the end of the tunnel for the development of Sector G-14, with all issues expected to be resolved by the end of April.

This was announced by the foundation on Tuesday in response to several queries from the Prime Minister’s Citizen Portal regarding the development of the sector and its sub-sectors.

Sector G-14 had been announced in 2004 and land in the sub-sectors one through three was acquired by the Islamabad Capital Territory (ICT) Deputy Commissioner through an award under Section 11 of the Land Acquisition Act 1894, in January 2005.

However, it could not be developed because the foundation could not take possession of the land after landowners claimed compensation for their Built-Up Properties (BUP).

In this regard, the award for BUP in Sector G-14/3 was announced as late as 2014 and even then it had to follow up with a supplementary award in 2017. Since then, around 70 per cent of the area in Sector G-14/3 has been vacated and the foundation has taken possession of it, with development work commencing.

FGEHF begins work on housing scheme

For awarding BUP in Sector G-14/2, measurements are being taken and it was awarded last month.

Similarly, measurements for the award of BUP in G 14/1 have commenced and compensation is expected to be awarded by the end of March. The foundation claimed that Sector G-14/1 is still inhabited by allegedly “illegal occupants”, who have refused to vacate the land despite being paid by the foundation. Residents, however, claim that they have not been paid fully and that they have a right to be paid fairly for their build-up structures apart from the cost of the land.

The foundation further announced that measurement targets have been set, with responsibilities assigned which will lead to the payment of and subsequent demolishing of BUPs to make land available for carrying out development works.

Previously, as an alternative to paying for BUP, the FGEHF had decided to accommodate settlers of Sector G-14/1 in Sector G-15 and a summary in this connection was forwarded to the relevant authorities for approval.

According to sources, the foundation had sought the Capital Development Authority’s (CDA) approval to auction commercial plots in the area to arrange funds to pay these inhabitants of Sector G-14/1.

Many people who were allotted plots in this particular sector have passed away, while a majority of the original allottees have sold plots because they had lost hopes for the early development of this sector.

Allottees, though, have welcomed this announcement.

Published in The Express Tribune, March 18^th, 2020.