Staff Reporter
The Senate Standing Committee on Housing was informed on Friday that around 1,345 government residential units of various categories had been got vacated from illegal occupants since May 1, 2019.
The committee meeting, chaired by Senator Mir Kabeer Ahmed Muhammad Shahi, was also informed in writing, that 4,600 houses had illegally been occupied in Karachi, while the Account General Pakistan Revenues (AGPR) had been approached for rent collection from defaulting retired officers from their pensions and serving government employees from their salary.
The Director General of Federal Government Employees Housing Authority (FGEHA) informed the committee that Bhara Kahu Housing Scheme was launched in March 2009, comprising 3,153 Kanals land on first-come-first- serve basis, for which a total 3,600 people had got themselves registered plots.
He said land was acquired from their owners at a cost of Rs 0.9 million per Kanals. He said the actual price of the plots had escalated from Rs 3 million to Rs 4.4 million due to delay of the scheme and increase in cost of development works.
About a question, raised by Senator Behramand Tangi regarding the possession of plots to the allottees in sub-sector one of G-14, the DG FGEHA informed the committee that the federal government had launched this scheme in 2004.
In G-14 Sub-Sector 1, the areas were occupied by 600 to 700 Built up Properties (BUP) including factories. He said the Authority had decided to shift these BUP to G-15/3 and the payment, against BUP, was being made through the sale of G-14 Markaz, which was opposed and objected by Capital Development Authority.
Now, he said the Authority was empowered to sell the said property and payment would be made to owners of built up properties by shifting them to G-15/3. The amount of Rs 6 to 7 billion was required for the settlement of liabilities of the BUP in G -14/1, which could be achieved under this strategy. The DG said the issue of plots’ allotment in G-14/2&3 would be solved within two to three months while in Sub-sector 1, it could take a little bit more time.
