ISLAMABAD, Aug 27: Managements of one dozen under-developed private housing schemes in Fatehjang on Sunday presented three options before the government to secure billions of rupees investment in the schemes after they fell into ‘negative zone’, the area within three kilometre radius from sensitive installations of Kala Chitta mountains where construction is prohibited.

The options were discussed in a meeting of Association of Private Housing Scheme (APHS) Fatehjang with its president, Maj (retired) Makhdoom Hussain, in chair.

In the first option, the meeting asked the government to issue No Objection Certificate (NOC) to all schemes falling outside and inside the ‘negative area’ so that development work could be started there and plots provided to the buyers.

As a second option the association demanded of the government to acquire land of all the schemes on market rates so that the money of plot owners could be reimbursed.

The third option presented before the government was that their schemes should be turned into farm housing.

The participants of the meeting were of the view that changing the status of the scheme from residential to farm housing was the most viable option and it should be acceptable to all stakeholders.

They said according to a notification of the defence ministry, the land in the negative area might be exempted from the prohibition in case of agriculture produce.

The APHS agreed upon a proposal that some local landholders in Fatehjang should be inducted in the association so that the housing schemes could get benefit from their resources and influence.

In this connection the association unanimously elected Sheikh Allauddin, a local landholder and owner of Model Town Housing Scheme, senior vice-president of the APHS.

The dream of plot owners to own a house in these schemes seems to be fading as the authorities concerned are paying no heed to their problems.

However, two other housing schemes of the defence ministry PAF Housing Scheme and Army Welfare Trust — are very close to Kala Chitta mountains and also fall in the negative area but no action is being taken against them.

Some 13 private housing and farm housing schemes were launched in Fatehjang near Kala Chitta mountains in the early 90s in which thousands of people invested over Rs30 million. But a couple of years ago they were declared illegal after what the defence ministry called the ‘negative zone’, the area within the radius of five miles from some sensitive installations in Kala Chitta Forest.

However, a few months ago the limits of negative area were reduced to three miles, and four of the housing schemes were declared outside the negative zone while nine still remain in it. Those which still fall in the negative area are: Galaxy City, Mustafa Garden, Ministry of Commerce Housing Society, Model Town, Education City-I, Paradise Agriculture Farms-I (Hattar Near Shahpur Dam), Paradise Agriculture Farms-II (Village Charrat), Z Co Housing Scheme and Spinzer Agriculture Farms.

The schemes out of the negative zone are Arain City, Grace Land Hill View, Mumtaz City and Education City-II.