The Senate Standing Committee on Housing and Works on Monday expressed displeasure over a briefing given by the officials of Pakistan Housing Authority (PHA). The Senate met here at the Parliament House under the chairmanship of Abdul Nabi Bangash. Adnan Khan, Ammar Ahmed Khan, Dr. Abdul Khaliq Pirzada, Engr. Muhammad Humayun Khan Mandokhel, Mir Hasil Khan Bizenjo, Nilofar Bakhtiar, Sardar Ali Khan and Syed Zafar Ali Shah members of the committee attended the briefing.
The PHA officials briefed the committee on the on-going projects and functioning of the Pakistan Housing Foundation. The committee members said that the Housing Foundation misused the money of government employees by purchasing land from private people at a higher price than the market rate. Federal Minister for Housing and Works Makhdoom Syed Faisal Saleh Hayat told the Senate body that Pakistan Public Works Department (Pak-PWD) had no record of its land and land mafia had occupied the federal government land in Karachi. He said the Pak-PWD officials had not followed the Public Procurement Rules Authority (PPRA).
The committee was informed about some irregularities taken place in the construction of residential units for federal government employees. The PHA officials said that in Phase-IV, Islamabad, 5,430 plots were allotted to the employees against payment of Rs 3,927 million to the Islamabad Capital Territory (ICT) administration.
They said that the Capital Development Authority (CDA) has granted permission for construction of 14-storey buildings with two basements in G-13 Sector which was approved by the Executive Committee of Housing Foundation in 2009.
These buildings would contain 2,902 apartments, 75 percent of them would be allotted to the federal government employees and the remaining 25 percent to the general public. Pak-PWD officials told the committee that letters have been sent to the Prime Minister Secretariat and NAB for arrangements of funds for renovation and rehabilitation of Chamba House and recovery of rent. They said that two PC-1’s have been approved for renovation of Chamba house for Rs 48.5 millions and 58.3 millions but NAB authorities were reluctant for payment.
They said that 25 court cases were in different courts regarding 2.30 kanal land at Peshwar, 26.80 kanal land at Murree, 22.48 kanal land at Karachi and 101 kanal land at Lahore. Ministry of Housing and Works Secretary Kamran Lashari, PHA MD, National Construction Limited MD and other officials of the ministry were also present in the meeting.
