ISLAMABAD: The National Assembly Standing Committee on Housing and Works on Monday directed the Federal Government Employee Housing Foundation (FGEHF) to take stern action against illegal encroachment in the sectors which are under its control.

At a meeting of the committee in Parliament House, which was chaired by MNA Haji Mohammad Akram Ansari, FGEHF Director-General Arif Ali Mahmood briefed the committee about illegal construction and encroachments in sectors G-13 and G-14 and about the steps being taken to tackle these issues.

The DG told the committee that a mosque has also been illegally constructed on a green belt in G-13 and that an FIR has been registered against the khateeb of the mosque.

After the announcement of a land award in G-14 a Built-up Property (BUP) assessment was conducted from 2009 to 2011 which could not be completed and a partial award was announced which left a lot of private buildings out of the assessment, the DG said, adding that these buildings were also demolished along with other, assessed buildings.

He added that efforts were being made for starting development work on the stalled sector. Mr Mahmood also talked about housing projects in F-14 and F-15 and said that the acquisition process for land and BUP has been started in these two sectors.

The committee expressed dissatisfaction over the pace of progress against encroachments and directed FGEHF to accelerate their efforts against encroachers.

The DG assured the committee that its directions will be complied with and that a progress report will be presented to the committee in the next meeting.

Published in Dawn, May 3rd, 2016