Federal Minister for Finance Senator Ishaq Dar chaired a meeting of the committee on allotments in New Secretariat Block at the Finance Ministry on Friday. Minister for Planning and Development Ahsan Iqbal also attended the meeting.
Finance Secretary Dr Waqar Masood informed the committee that the New Secretariat Block is near completion and a decision has to be made for space allocation to the ministries/divisions. In a detailed briefing, he informed that many ministries/departments have sent their request for allotment of space in the new building. He said that the requirements received so far are 2,70,000 square feet by the ministries/divisions and 9,82,000 square feet by the attached departments whereas the total space available is 3,42,000 square feet.
Dar directed the officials concerned to prepare a complete plan on two basic principles, giving priority to ministries/divisions which are on rented buildings and setting scattered ministries at one place.
He also directed the officials of the Ministry of Housing and Works to provide a plan for setting up a common auditorium, briefing hall, meeting rooms in addition to a bank and restaurant on the ground floor and forward it to the committee for consideration. The minister further directed that allotments should be made to the main ministries/divisions only.
The meeting was also attended by Cabinet Secretary Akhlaq Ahmad Tarrar, Adviser to Finance Ministry Rana Assad Amin and other senior officials of the departments concerned.
