ISLAMABAD: A National Assembly committee on Wednesday expressed concerns over improper cleanliness of the Parliament Lodges, noting that outsourcing cleaning services had not improved the situation.

The members also voiced reservations about the undue delay in constructing additional family suites and servant quarters adjacent to the Parliament Lodges, pointing out that these delays had significantly increased project costs.

The meeting of the National Assembly Standing Committee on House and Library was held at the Parliament House on Wednesday, which was presided over by Deputy Speaker Syed Ghulam Mustafa Shah.

MNAs Aijaz Hussain Jakhrani, Sardar Nabil Ahmed Gabol, Sofia Saeed Shah, Aliya Kamran and Zainab Mehmood Baloch participated in the meeting. Senior officers of the ministries of planning and finance, Capital Development Authority (CDA) and Iesco were also present.

The meeting focused on several key issues, including construction of additional family suites and servant quarters, maintenance, cleaning of the Parliament Lodges and car-parking facilities.

The committee highlighted the grievances of parliamentarians who were not provided with accommodation and directed the CDA to carry out repairs and maintenance work impartially.

The NA body directed the CDA to make serious efforts to complete construction of additional family suites and servant quarters without any delay.

The civic body informed the committee members that tenders for the project had been published, with openings scheduled for Nov 11, and that the Central Development Working Party (CDWP) had recommended the project to Ecnec for approval.

Apart from this, the committee addressed ongoing issues with car-parking facilities, emphasising the need to prevent vehicle obstruction at entry and exit points. It recommended that biometric attendance be implemented for CDA staff at the Parliament Lodges, as many staff members were found absent during duty hours.

Published in Dawn, October 24th, 2024