Retirees ‘occupy’ quarters despite govt order to vacate

Efforts to evacuate the government quarters at Tarbela Dam have faced setbacks as notices issued to ‘irrelevant occupants’ five years ago have not been heeded.

The failure to vacate these quarters has left government employees without proper accommodation, causing difficulties for them.

Reports indicate that a significant number of retired employees of the Water and Power Development Authority (Wapda) and private individuals have occupied these government quarters for an extended period.

As a result, in-service Wapda employees are struggling to secure quarters, forcing many to live privately. Some employees have expressed frustration, pointing out that retired personnel who left service two decades ago are still occupying government quarters that rightfully belong to current employees. Despite attempts to reclaim these quarters, the occupants are unwilling to relinquish them to the management.

In addition to retired employees, it has been observed that some retirees have sublet the quarters to others, depriving deserving employees of their right to reside in these accommodations. The issue has been exacerbated by influential private employees and officers who have allotted these quarters to their relatives.

In response to the situation, the management of Wapda at Tarbela Dam issued a notification threatening those unwilling to vacate with having to pay double the rent for each quarter. However, rumours have circulated that the rent for the quarters has been reduced by 50 per cent, leading to confusion among residents.

In 2018, the then GM attempted to get the quarters vacated so that they could be allocated to deserving employees.

The deadline was first extended by six months and then there was no significant progress. The situation has persisted since then.

Published in The Express Tribune, July 24^th, 2023.