Vertical construction: Official residences limited to one kanal of land

Previous quarters on Kohat Road being razed to build 1,236 flats

PESHAWAR:

The government has decided no official residence will be built on land exceeding one kanal. This was announced at the Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa (K-P) Assembly session on Friday.

Responding to a question, Adviser to the Chief Minister on Communication and Works (C&W) Akbar Ayub said British-era bungalows spread over several kanals and the cabinet has decided to scale down new official residences.

“The largest official house will be built on one kanal,” Ayub told the lawmakers. “The size of the residence will be directly proportionate to the grade of the official,” he said.

Ayub said three official residences spread over 36 kanals have been demolished in Nishtarabad in Peshawar and residential colonies shall be constructed instead. “A consultant is working on designing colonies in Nishtarabad.”

He said the Provincial Housing Authority (PHA) was also planning a multi-storey building for government employees in Civil Quarters, Kohat Road. According to Ayub, the existing 402 quarters will be demolished and about 1,236 residential flats will be constructed in the same space.

Maternity benefits

The government also introduced an amendment in the Maternity Benefit Act 2013 to facilitate working women during their pregnancy so their health is not affected adversely.

The amendment to Section 3 inserts a subsection 2 to the clause. The subsection notes no employer shall ask any employed women to do any work of an arduous nature or which involves long hours of standing or which is likely to adversely affect her health for a period of one month immediately (a) preceding the period of six weeks before the date of her expected delivery and (b) succeeding six weeks after the date of her delivery.

Limiting levies

The house was also informed that the chief minister has disallowed the collection of Rs25 from motorists using the Mardan Bypass.

The issue was raised by Swabi lawmaker Abdul Karim, who on a point of order complained people are not charged for using bypass roads anywhere else in the province.

Karim called for abolishing this levy, which he called “an injustice to the people”. However, C&W adviser Ayub said the toll was being collected following the directives of the chief minister. Even as Ayub argued in favour for the tax, Minister for Primary and Secondary Education Atif Khan informed the house that following a late night meeting with a delegation of lawmakers, the chief minister had already directed the levy be abolished, causing some embarrassment on one side of the aisle.

Billing it to the house

The K-P Arms Amendment Bill 2015 was also introduced in the house. Lawmakers also passed the K-P Protection of Breast Feeding and Child Nutrition bill 2015. The session was later adjourned till Monday afternoon.

Published in The Express Tribune, January 10^th, 2015.