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The Prime Minister's Office (PMO) will directly monitor the PTI-led government's project to build five million low-cost houses across the country, Information Minister Fawad Chaudhry told Dawn on Monday.
The decision to take the project's supervision from the Ministry of Housing and Works and bring it under PMO was taken by Prime Minister Imran Khan to ensure that the project is carried out smoothly.
During a meeting held at the PM's Office, the housing secretary told PM Khan about the problems arising in the execution of the project, including the shortfall in demand in the housing sector.
He also briefed the premier on the steps needed to ensure the availability of land and acquiring funds to fulfil the cost of the scheme.
The secretary suggested that the government should take necessary administrative and legal measures required in order to attract investments from the private sector, a suggestion in line with the premier's earlier announcement encouraging local and foreign businessmen to invest in the scheme.
PM Khan stressed that the regularisation of slum areas and construction of five million houses equipped with all basic facilities was one of the foremost priorities of the PTI government.
He also pointed out that the scheme will generate several jobs and provide business to industries linked to the housing sector along with providing shelter to the homeless.
Regarding the availability of land, the prime minister insisted that state-owned properties, including guest houses and accommodations in Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa alone, could generate billions of rupees for the scheme.
Earlier today, PM Khan had tweeted figures, saying that Pakistan "is sitting on huge amounts of dead capital... in the form of this govt-owned land with buildings". He has also repeatedly said that he will use government buildings for the public's benefit.
Talking to Dawn after the meeting, the information minister said that the government aims to "acquire the illegal land from the rich and influential and give it to the poor". He added that the anti-encroachment drive currently underway in various cities was also part of the scheme.
Chaudhry said that the government will soon reveal all the details of the five million housing scheme.
Comments (17) Closed
All you need to do is to empower departments like CDA, LDA, KDA etc they have worked to provide the state of art economical housing to massed in the past till there was no political interference. PTI promised to built the system and strengthen the independent institutes so why all has to be looked and controlled personally by PM I think PM has so many other pressing issues to look after than to supervise the housing schemes.
Where is the money?
I never understood what does personal monitoring means. Being a Chief Executive, monitoring of all government business is PM's responsibility.
Building 5 million houses is not a joke. It would require establishing several purpose built factories all over the country for adopting a modular house construction approach.
Please, give consideration to poor people of fata, I would be very thankful if one low cost house is built in this scheme for me in Fata .
Your Excellency PM Imran Khan, there are many institutions, ministries, and organization which can and will follow your orders. If you do everything yourself then where you will get time to govern and guide this Great country.
khan sahb, first solve the economy problem.
@Meer - building small homes will increase employment and will result in improving economy. But IK must delegate to other institutions in the country.
Has PTI even done basic calculation about cost of this scheme . Assuming 2.5 million rupees per house cost total cost becomes 12,500 billion rupees thats 100 billion dollars. If private sector does the funding they will do it for profit so how would it help the common man. Even if government bear 10 percent of cost thats 10 billion dollar which is bhasha dam cost. Kindly focus on building the dam first . People can build their own houses but private citizen cannot build dams its governments job.
I am waiting for the u-turn.
@Bobby Khan Canada they wont be given out for free. Govt will recover cost plus profit from this scheme.
Time to perform Imran Khan. We have been listening stories of other parties corruption from some time. How can we believe that PTI is different from other parties. It has only one way that is your performance. Very nice you are monitoring things your self. But we need your road map to accomplish your claims.
In trying to be over-ambitious the PM may well be taking upon himself a little bit too much. He would be well-advised to oversee such idealistic projects and ensure action in the right direction by constantly calling for answerability.
KDA was very efficient and effective department and build Karachi. Sindh government divided KDA and make it dis functional.
5000000 houses. A gigantic project. Where there is will there’s a way. PM Imran Khan can do, it’s doable. Simultaneously Dams, Artificial Lakes, are required to store water. The CPEC must be complete on fast track, so that revenue began pouring, that can be a great support, like the Egyptians government derive all their kitchen money from Suez Canal. PM Imran Khan may also open Kartarpur Corridor purely on humanitarian basis for Sikh Yatrees, also construct nearby a Kartarpur Medical Complex for free treatment. One step further allow India trade corridor via Wagah to transit its goods to Afghanistan at appropriate transit fees, yet another Head for generating revenue.
Give people ability to earn their house. Do not make them beggars.
Dear Mr Imran Khan ....try to benefit from General Azam Khan experience of building Korangi