ISLAMABAD: A parliamentary panel on Wednesday criticised the Capital Development Authority (CDA) for its failure to complete construction at the Parliament Lodges within the stipulated timeframe.

An in camera meeting of the National Assembly Standing Committee on House and Library met at the Parliament House, which was chaired by Deputy Speaker Murtaza Javed Abbasi.

In addition to CDA officials, the meeting was attended by MNAs Malik Ibrar Ahmed, Mian Mohammad Rasheed, Dr Ibadullah, Aqibullah Khan, Dr Mahreen Bhutto and Shahida Rehmani.

FECHS delaying handing over of plots to NA Secretariat employees, NA body says

The committee expressed annoyance with the delays in the construction of additional suites and servant quarters at the lodges and directed the CDA to resolve the issue immediately.

According to a press release, the deputy speaker criticised the delays in the construction of family suites, saying the project was started in May 2011 and was to be completed in November 2013. However, the project has yet to be completed due to negligence on the part of the CDA and the construction company.

It added that the committee members were of the view that despite making several commitments before the committee, the construction firm did not make a sincere effort to complete the project.

“Due to the lethargic attitude towards the Contractor obligation and completion of the project within the stipulated time and extended time frame the project could not be completed till date,” Mr Abbasi said.

He added that because the project has not been completed, parliamentarians who have not been provided residential accommodation have been suffering for the last four years.

The press release quoted Mr Abbasi as saying that the contractor had taken the matter to the arbitrator in an attempt to linger on it and put his incapability under the carpet, but the CDA did not seem to be pursuing the case actively in order to dispose of it.

The committee directed CDA Chairman Sheikh Anser Aziz to take a personal interest in resolving the matter and seeking other possible legal solutions.

The committee also discussed the status of the possession of plots to the employees of the National Assembly Employees Cooperative Housing Society (NAECHS), and said the Federal Employees Cooperative Housing Society (FECHS) was delaying handing over the possession of plots to employees of the National Assembly Secretariat.

The committee was also displeased that the joint venture agreement between the NAECHS and the FECHS for the provision of plots to National Assembly and Senate employees was not implemented.

Mr Abbasi said that according to the joint venture, the FECHS was bound to give possession of plots to 1,096 members of parliament, but only 413 had been awarded possession. In addition to this, the FECHS has also given possession of expensive NAECHS land to irrelevant people instead of members of the NAECHS.

The committee said the former president of the FECHS should be held ineligible to participate in FECHS elections, and instructed the Cooperative Housing Societies Islamabad registrar to take action against him.

The deputy speaker said FECHS elections should be postponed until action is taken against the former president and the current FECHS administrator should be authorised to allot plots.

The committee also suggested initiating Federal Investigation Agency investigations into the former president.

Published in Dawn, July 27th, 2017