Despite the span of 33 years, Islamabad Capital Territory (ICT) administration has failed to complete its own housing society, which was registered back in 1984.
Circle Registrar Mazher Ali, when contacted on the matter, said that it is “a dead society” and the ICT administration hasn’t considered it, even for the annual general meeting. First, Saddar Assistant Commissioner was its administrator and then another committee was formed. He added that the high officials of ICT are not interested in developing the society, fearing another scandal of corruption. He said that the administration is now mulling to shelve the project and paying back the membership fee to the employees.
“This society was meant for low cadre employees. If the administration of ICT wants to accommodate low scale employees, then they may adjust them in the specified quota of five per cent in every housing society,” another official said.
“What can we say if the administration, which was supposed to regulate and put a check on other housing societies within the capital territory, even after getting membership fee from ICT employees, has remained unsuccessful to conduct a single Annual General Meeting (AGM),” said Ali, an ICT employee.
In 2012, a four-member committee was formed which also failed to wheel the process.
A high official of ICT administration claimed that, ethically speaking, ICT cannot develop its own housing society as it is the administration to check and regulate other housing societies—it falls in a conflict of interest.
However, after decades, 251 ICT employees moved an application to circle registrar Mazher Ali, requesting him to conduct a general meeting with all the committee members to resolve the long-standing matters.
“We have moved this application for the second time in one year, but, this time, we apprised the registrar that, according to law, AGM must be conducted every year. More than one-fifth majority of ICT employees signed it and asked to investigate the matter, asking why the money—which was collected in 1984 (amounting to one lakh) and again from 612 employees (amounting to three million)—was not deposited in the account of ICT housing society in National Bank of Pakistan,” said another employee aware of the development. It was noted that during this time, no election was conducted.
It was also claimed in the application that the pay orders of Rs5,000 submitted by 80 per cent of ICT employees are now expired, as they were not deposited in the account. ICT employees in application requested to order a special audit and fixing of responsibility.
When contacted, Finance and Development director said that the employees are running from pillar to post; a general meeting would be conducted soon.
The four-member committee which was formed in 2012 included Convener Farasat Ali Khan, Additional Deputy Commissioner Revenue (ADCR) Rabia Aurangzeb, Circle Registrar ICT and Secretary Committee Mazher Ali, and Magistrate Farrukh Nadeem.
