ISLAMABAD: The Capital Development Authority (CDA) has turned down the request of the Federal Government Employees Housing Authority (FGEHA), seeking placement of eight plots in I-8 at its disposal for allotting them to senior government officers on the waiting list.

The civic agency’s estate wing, in response to a letter of the housing authority, informed it on Oct 25 that the CDA “can’t place any further plots in Sector I-8 as requested and required by your office [FGEHA]”.

The letter further said from 1990 to 2006 it had allocated 2,945 plots of various categories to the FGEHA in I-8, adding that the said figure was recorded as it had also been submitted to the Supreme Court in 2011.

Similarly, it stated that from 1990 to 2020, the CDA had placed 1,572 plots in D-12 at the disposal of the housing authority as well as 1,498 plots in G-11 in the past.

FGEHA claims employees’ quota still pending with civic body

The capital’s civic agency said on the direction of the federal cabinet a few years ago it had transferred sectors G-12 and F-12 to the FGEHA and therefore no more plots could be placed at its disposal.

The CDA develops sectors in Islamabad to meet the housing needs of the city while the FGEHA, which became a housing authority from a foundation a few years ago, is supposed to develop sectors for government employees. Both are government-owned entities.

Earlier, through a letter to the CDA last month, the FGEHA’s director estate had stated that phase-I of the housing scheme was launched in 1989 and plots were allotted and placed by the CDA in I-8 and G-11 at the disposal of the then housing foundation, which were subsequently allotted to the federal government employees on merit.

“Further, the CDA in 1997 placed 655 plots at the disposal of the housing foundation (now authority) of three categories,” reads the letter.

It said the then chief executive/President Secretariat in 2002 had sought 655 plots in I-8 for the housing authority with no specific quota for the CDA.

“The CDA employees have already been accommodated in I-8 whereas the federal government employees’ quota is still pending and to be allocated to FGEHA,” reads the housing authority letter. It stated bona fide applicants of waiting merit list reported that eight plots were vacant in I-8 and the same should be placed at the FGEHA disposal.

“In pursuance of the directive of then Chief Executive Secretariat, these (eight) plots may be placed at the disposal of FGEHA for allotment to senior officers on waiting list till the matter of 655 plots is resolved,” reads the letter.

When contacted, CDA officials said FGEHA’s letter had no legal standing as it had already allotted 2,945 plots to the said authority in I-8.

An official of FGEHA claimed the housing authority had not been allotted plots by CDA in I-8 as per directives of the chief executive office.

Published in Dawn, October 31st, 2022