–Adverse judgments from courts coupled with poor performance in developing new and maintaining already-developed sectors imperil FGEHF repute
ISLAMABAD: Affecting thousands of former and current government servants, the Federal Government Employees Housing Foundation (FGEHF) has left its allottees high and dry for months as it has failed to return the deposited amount worth millions despite the court’s orders.
Adverse judgment by Justice Athar Minallah of Islamabad High Court (IHC) was maintained by a two-member bench headed by Justice Mohsin Akhtar Kiyani which pointed out dozens of illegalities of procedural and financial nature. The bench noted that the development in ZONE-I, where Sector F-14 is located, can only be carried out by Capital Development Authority (CDA). It also said that the Housing Foundation has failed in providing water supplies and sewerage systems and curbing the illegal generation of funds by government employees in name of public service.
Since 2003, FGEHF has allotted plots to many government servants and the general public, however, the possession of many amongst them is yet to be given as encroachments are rife in various areas slated for development.
Along with FGEHF’s failure to allot the plots, the Housing Foundation has failed to cater to the needs of sectors already under its control. The main reason behind this neglect, sources claim, boils down to the fact that FGEHF has invested its resources and energy in planning, selling and minting money from its new residential schemes notably in Barakahu, F-14, F-15. However, the foundation has failed to catalyse work in more than a decade-old sector G-14, where there are scant signs of development, especially in G-14/1, while other sub-sectors like G-14/2 and G-14/3 are not much different.
Last year, parliamentarians showed their apprehensions on the awaited title of project and procedure of another project of FGEHF in Bara Kahu and asked for the details of steps adopted by the government for acquisition of land and selection of land providers. The committee had shown its observation on the distribution of commercial area by the ratio of 10 per cent and 90 per cent for government and land provider, respectively. The committee also directed the FGEHF director general for providing the following documents to the committee for its consideration: A copy of the summary submitted to the federal cabinet, approval in this regard, details of 15 companies which participated in pre-qualification, details of seven shortlisted companies, along with their offers and details of selected company along with the offer.
The FGEHF DG, who was representing Housing Foundation, told the committee members that more than 36,000 members got registered in Bara Kahu Housing Scheme and around Rs6.7 billion were collected from the allottees. The representatives also brushed aside the rumours that Bara Kahu Housing Society will be rolled back. “We will complete the project in record time and increase the speed of work,” he said.
It is pertinent to mention here that since its inception back in 1989, the foundation has completed 23 projects and is presently developing 7,000 kanals of land in Sector F-14, 3,000 in F-16, 3,000 in Bara Kahu Phase 1, 16,000 in Phase 2 and residential units in G-14, G-15.
Pakistan Today tried to contact FGEHF spokesperson Sajid Asadi repeatedly but he was not available for a comment.