RAWALPINDI, May 19: Rawalpindi Development Authority (RDA) gave the approval to launch its first housing scheme after 24 years of its inception.

The decision to this effect was taken during RDA governing body meeting held here under the chairmanship of District Coordination Officer (DCO) Saqib Zafar. Chief Minister’s Development Monitoring Committee Chairman Sardar Naseem, RDA Director General Makeen Shahbaz, Assistant Commissioner Saif Anwar Jappa and other senior officials attended the meeting.

For the first time, MNA Malik Shakeel Awan also attended the meeting. Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif appointed him as member of the RDA governing body 10 days ago.

Director Land Mushtaq Ahmed presented the plan for the housing scheme which would be constructed near the Islamabad sectors of 1-16 and I-17 on power sharing formula. Total 25,000-kanal land consisting of 12 villages would be acquired for the project.

It may be mentioned here that the RDA had been trying hard to launch its housing scheme for the last two decades but all its plans could not be materialised.

During the meeting, MNA Malik Shakeel Awan criticised the RDA as it could not complete different development projects according to the international standards. He said that it was also not following the provincial government’s policy on re-employment.

He said that the Punjab government had made it clear that the re-employment would be discouraged in government departments. He said RDA was also not following the Punjab government’s service rules and regulations.

Upon this, the meeting was informed by the officials that RDA had no service rules and it was following the service rules and regulations of Faisalabad Development Authority (FDA). Malik Shakeel Awan sought the details in this regard.

The meeting also gave approval to regularise the services of seven junior clerics.