ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Imran Khan was informed at a meeting on Wednesday that over 40 bidders and construction companies had applied for providing land and constructing housing units under the Naya Pakistan Housing Programme (NPHP) of the federal government.

Briefing the meeting on the progress of the programme, Housing and Works Secretary Dr Imran Zeb said that an encouraging response had been received from bidders/companies to the government initiative.

He said that 41 bidders/companies had applied for constructing housing units and providing land for plots/apartments/houses in major cities of the country.

The secretary also apprised the prime minister of functions of the ministry and its attached departments and organisations such as the Pakistan Public Works Department (Pak-PWD), Estate Office, National Housing Authority, Pakistan Housing Authority Foundation, Federal Government Employees Housing Foundation and National Construction Limited.

17-member task force formed to look into affairs of the Naya Pakistan project

Mr Zeb also shared achievements of various organisations with regard to their mandated functions.

The meeting was informed that efforts were under way to ensure complete transparency in the process of allotment of official accommodation to government employees and getting vacated illegal occupation from official accommodation.

The prime minister was informed that currently the Ministry of Housing and Works was facing a shortfall of 26,724 housing units in different parts of the country. The secretary also highlighted various issues relating to Pak-PWD and other departments of the ministry.

Prime Minister Khan said that the government was cognisant of the issues being faced by its employees in the housing sector, especially provision of official accommodation in the federal capital and provincial headquarters.

Mr Khan said that the PTI government’s programme of constructing five million housing units/flats over the next five years would help address the issue of shortage of official accommodation for government employees.

He expressed concern over under-utilisation of human resources and expertise available with various organisations of the housing ministry and directed that a comprehensive plan be prepared to ensure optimum utilisation of the available human resources.

An official press release issued after the meeting did not mention what progress had been made by the housing ministry for the formation of a new housing authority — Naya Pakistan Housing Authority (NPHA) — which was proposed by the prime minister to be set up within 90 days of the formation of the new government.

The main objective of the formation of the new authority was to provide one-window facility to all investors/bidders of the NPHP. The prime minister had also announced that he would oversee the working of the new authority.

Meanwhile, a 17-member task force has been formed to look into affairs of the NPHP.

Published in Dawn, November 29th, 2018