FGEHA project hits snags as investor backs out

Housing project had to start on 10,000 kanals near Thalian interchange through joint venture

ISLAMABAD:

A housing project of the Federal Government Employees Housing Authority (FGEHA) in the Morat area of Thalian Rawalpindi has hit snags as the private investor (joint adventure) refused to provide the requisite land since the so-called scheme was announced four or so years ago.

Interestingly, the FGEHA had collected down payment and upfront money from federal government employees for the “imaginary” project which never saw the light of the day in these years, adding to the woes of the employees who have got their hard-earned money stuck.

The housing project was supposed to start on 7,000 to 10,000 kanals of land near Thalian interchange under the joint venture and membership for the project started in 2017. However, the FGEHA failed to pursue the project on time and ended up getting a verbal assurance from the private investor, who has promised to provide alternate land in Rajar and adjoining areas for the housing project.

According to reliable sources, the authority’s joint venture partner has flatly refused to give the 10,000 kanals of land in five areas of Thalian, stating that he had no such expanse of territory in the locality.

According to the sources, after the private partner backed out from providing the land, the FGEHA has decided to revise the scheme and may accept the alternate land in Rajar and adjoining areas.

The sources said that before starting a project, the FGEHA usually gets approval from the housing ministry and the federal cabinet and once the approval is granted, its office-bearers drag on with schemes despite collecting down payments and upfront money from the employees.

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In the Thalian housing project, over 9,000 plots had been on the cards for members falling in different categories and around 5,000 employees had even deposited down payment and the upfront money with the FGEHA for plots.

According to the sources, the joint venture partner had initially named some land in the name of authority but its acquisition and the access route from the Thalian interchange remained a problem during all these years.

The Public Accounts Committee had also taken up the matter and expressed reservations over the feasibility and viability of the scheme.

According to sources, the joint venture partner has refused to carry out the project on the previously promised sites and has instead offered lands in Rajar and adjoining areas.

The housing authority has also agreed to launch the scheme at the alternate land, however, the project will face a further delay.

Meanwhile, FGEHA spokesperson Chaudhry Irfan told The Express Tribune that delays in joint ventures was commonplace and said the project was in the pipeline for the last many years. He said that the authority was reviewing the offer of the joint venture for starting the project at the alternate land. “It will soon be decided whether or not the project will be launched at the alternate land.

When asked why the authority dragged on and failed to pursue the project in these long years, he said “such delays are inevitable in joint ventures.”

An aggrieved federal government employee, wishing anonymity, demanded that the federal cabinet order an inquiry into the matter and held the officials responsible accountable for the inordinate delay in launching the project.

Published in The Express Tribune, July 17^th, 2021.