ISLAMABAD: Minister for Housing and Works Riaz Hussain Pirzada on Friday acknowledged the slow progress in all ongoing residential projects under the ministry, citing multiple reasons behind the delay.

The minister was responding to a calling attention notice moved by five MNAs - Raja Pervez Ashraf, Mahtab Akbar Rashdi, Shagufta Jumani, Aqeel Malik and Aliya Kamran - which highlighted public concern over the delays in the completion and handover of the Residencia Apartments in G-13, as well as plots in F-14, F-15, Bhara Kahu and Park Road under the Federal Government Employees Housing Authority (FGEHA).

In response, the minister said while the ministry’s official statement attributed the delays to Covid-19 and cost escalation, these were not the primary causes.

The minister explained that several other factors contributed to the hold-ups, including disputes with landlords over land acquisition prices. The ministry, he said, had been offering outdated rates to landowners instead of compensating according to current market rates, which had created a major bottleneck.

Similarly, he said the ongoing litigation and court-ordered stays had further hampered progress, adding that he had been making efforts to resolve these issues but the support of the Parliament was required to take bold decisions.

The movers of the bill, Mahtab Akbar Rashdi, Aliya Kamran and Aqeel Malik, said the ministry should set a timeline to handover plots and apartments to people. They said the ministry had received amounts from the allottees, but failed to provide them the promised plots, which was great injustice, adding that the progress of all these projects should be shared with the National Assembly periodically.

The minister acknowledged a trust deficit between the ministry and the public, stating that he had been making efforts to bridge the gap.

He said timelines had been set for the delayed projects, and steps were being taken to expedite progress.

National Assembly Speaker Sardar Ayaz Sadiq referred this matter to the NA Standing Committee for Housing and Works for further discussion, stating that the ministry should properly brief members on the status of the projects.

It is relevant to note here that the ministry launched the Bhara Kahu housing scheme in 2009, which was initially delayed due to litigation, and while work later resumed, it remains incomplete.

Similarly, the ministry also launched the Bhara Kahu Green Enclave – a joint project with private firms, but that project is yet to be completed.

Meanwhile, the Park Road housing scheme, as well as sectors F-14 and F-15, launched by the FGEHA several years ago, are still pending due to court orders. Additionally, sectors G-12 and F-12, which the FGEHA obtained from CDA a few years ago, have yet to see any development activity. Thousands of houses remain occupied by locals in these sectors. Furthermore, apartment projects in sector G-13 are also facing significant delays.

Published in Dawn, September 7th, 2024