ISLAMABAD: The Senate Standing Committee on Housing and Works on Thursday expressed concerns regarding delays in starting development work on the Federal Government Employees Housing Foundation’s (FGEHF) Bhara Kahu Housing Scheme.

During the committee meeting at Parliament House, a subcommittee presented its report highlighting issues impeding development work.

The subcommittee’s report said a portion of the scheme falls in Zone IV (sub-zone D), where housing schemes are prohibited by Capital Development Authority (CDA) regulations.

Senator Chaudhry Tanvir Khan also expressed concerns during the meeting about the price at which the housing foundation had purchased land.

The committee was also briefed on the Talian Housing Scheme, and a project in I-16.

Committee members were of the view that the Talian and Bhara Kahu schemes were very important, since thousands of government employees have invested in them.

But, the committee observed, both projects were delayed.

Housing ministry officials said the CDA did not raise objections based on zoning regulations while approving the layout plan, but was now saying a portion of the scheme falls in a sub-zone of Zone IV.

The committee decided to visit both the schemes as soon as possible.

Although the Bhara Kahu housing scheme was initiated in 2010, proper development work has yet to start on the scheme, which also lacks an access road from the Murree Expressway.

A subcommittee of the Senate Standing Committee on Cabinet Secretariat headed by Senator Kalsoom Parveen, which also met at Parliament House on Thursday, discussed CDA and Islamabad Capital Territory (ICT) rules and regulations on the regularisation of housing schemes.

The CDA and ICT have been directed to submit the details of all housing schemes and their regulations at the next meeting.

Published in Dawn, January 12th, 2018