FAISALABAD: The Faisalabad Development Authority (FDA) has offered the Faisalabad Electric Supply Company (Fesco) to instal electricity network and a grid station in its FDA City in return for plots for its officials in the colony.

This offer was made through a letter by the FDA to the Fesco chief executive officer.

The FDA will charge Fesco employees Rs116,000 per marla, which the company will collect from them.

The 1,800-acre scheme was launched in 2005 but the authority failed to instal the electricity supply system, which is estimated at Rs1 billion.

To justify the move, the letter cites section 5 of the Disposal of Land Act of 2014, which allows the authority to enter into a joint venture with a partner for the purpose of the development.

More than 11,000 plot owners have been awaiting the installation of the electricity system at the scheme. The project has six blocks, of that only two were provided the power supply just a couple of months ago.

With the installation of electricity poles and metres, some owners have started construction of houses in the scheme.

Asif Ali, a plot holder in A block, told Dawn that several plot holders had been living in rented residences despite owning plot in the scheme for years.

He said scores of government officials had bought plots in the colony to construct their own houses after their retirement. However, the inefficient FDA delayed their plans.

FDA head Yawar Hussain said the Fesco board of directors would discuss the issue in its meeting.

An FDA officer said they would provide developed residential plots amounting Rs1.06 billion to Fesco in return for provision of the power supply system and setting up of one grid station. The area to be electrified is 1,250 acres.

The contract is be completed in three years, he said, adding that Fesco officials would provide the list of plot seekers to the FDA for allotment letters.

He said that in case of any dispute between the FDA and Fesco, the commissioner would work for arbitration.

Published in Dawn, February 20th , 2017