ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Imran Khan Wednesday said that the PTI government’s flagship programme of the construction of five million housing units during the next five years would help address the issue of shortage of official accommodation.
The prime minister expressed these views while chairing a briefing on the Ministry of Housing and Works here at the PM Office.
The government was cognisant of the issues being faced in housing sector especially with regards to provision of official accommodation to the government employees in the federal capital and the provincial headquarters, he added.
Minister for Housing and Works Chaudhry Tariq Bashir Cheema, Housing Secretary Dr Imran Zeb and senior officials of the ministry attended the briefing.
The housing secretary briefed the premier about the functions of the ministry and attached departments and organisations, including Pakistan Public Works Department (Pak PWD), Estate Office, National Housing Authority, Pakistan Housing Authority-Foundation (PHA-F), Federal Government Employees Housing Foundation (FGEHF) and National Construction Limited (NCL). He also shared the achievements of various organisations with regards to their mandated functions.
The prime minister was informed that all efforts were being made to ensure complete transparency in the process of allotment of official accommodations while efforts were also afoot to get official accommodations vacated from illegal occupation.
He was informed that currently, the Ministry of Housing was facing a shortfall of 26,724 units at various stations.
The secretary also highlighted various issues relating to Pak PWD and other departments of the ministry.
PM Khan expressed concerns over the under-utilisation of human resource and expertise available with various organisations of the housing ministry and directed that a comprehensive plan should be prepared to ensure optimum utilisation of available resource.
The secretary also briefed the premier about the progress on Naya Pakistan Housing Programme.
It was informed that an encouraging response was being received from the bidders/companies towards the housing project and 41 bidders/companies have applied and offered land for plots/apartments/ houses in major cities.
