ISLAMABAD: The Ministry of Housing and Works is planning to vacate government quarters in the federal capital from retired and relatives of late employees who continue occupying the residences.

In this regard, the ministry has sought help from the Capital Development Authority (CDA) and the Estate Office, sources in the Estate Office told this agency.

They said the ministry was considering taking action against encroachments and illegally constructed structures in government residences. Strict action would be taken against the construction of extra rooms by the employees.

At present, the sources said, over 17,000 government houses in Islamabad are under the management of the Estate Office and additional rooms have illegally been constructed by the allottees in over 2,400 residences.

Additional rooms have been built illegally in over 2,400 official residences in Islamabad

The basic purpose of the operation is to clear the government residences of encroachments.

They said over 25,000 government employees were currently on the general waiting list to get accommodation but they could not be provided with the same as retired employees, their relatives and even relatives of late employees continued living in the quarters. — APP

Kashif Abbasi adds: A Senate functional committee was informed on Tuesday that PC-I worth Rs1.8 billion had been approved for the repair and maintenance of government owned houses.

The Senate Functional Committee on Government Assurances, which met with Senator Kamil Ali Agha in the chair, was told that the Ministry of Housing and Works had received only Rs70 million for repair and maintenance of 28,000 government houses, out of which 17,000 were located in Islamabad.

The committee was told that flats located in G-9 were in a dilapidated condition while houses in other sectors also needed repair.

Officials told the committee that the housing ministry had prepared a separate PC-1 worth Rs1.8 billion for the repair and maintenance of the government houses. The PC-1 has been approved and the ministry has decided to set up a separate organisation for repair work only.

Earlier, Minister of State for Parliamentary Affairs Ali Mohammad Khan said Rs70 million budget for 28,000 houses was a joke, adding he would take up the issue with the housing minister.

He said the government will try to increase the budget for the ministry next year.

The committee sought a complete report from the ministry about the repair work.

Meanwhile, the committee was given a briefing on G-14/3. Officials told the committee that possession of 70pc land had been taken by the ministry and process of issuing allotment letters was in progress.

The committee was told that 44 allottees had constructed their houses there as well.

They said there were 1,100 plots and 700 of them were ready for allotment.

The committee decided to have another briefing at its next meeting and directed the ministry to come up with details of encroachment on state land and handing over of the possession of plots.

Published in Dawn, October 26th, 2021