ISLAMABAD, July 9: The district administration has taken action against 18 cooperative housing societies in the federal capital for not meeting development requirements, Interior Minister Faisal Saleh Hayat said.

In a written reply to a question raised by Mohammad Ibrahim Khan in the Senate, Mr Hayat said inquiry against nine housing societies was being conducted while show-cause notices had been served on the managements of another nine societies.

He said societies against whom inquiry had been initiated included Accounts Group Officers Cooperative Housing Society, Christian Cooperative Housing Society, NIH Employees Cooperative Housing Society, NIE Employees Cooperative Housing Society, Services Cooperative Housing Society, Pakistan Medical Cooperative Housing Society, OGDC Cooperative Housing Society and T&T Cooperative Housing Society.

He said necessary actions, including show-cause notices and warnings, had been taken against the managing committees of the other nine societies. They are Federal Employees Cooperative Housing Society, CBR Employees Cooperative Housing Society, PARC Employees Cooperative Housing Society, UGC Cooperative Housing Society, National Assembly Employees Cooperative Housing Society, Islamabad Cooperative Housing Society, Federal Bank Employees Cooperative Housing Society and Islamic University Staff Cooperative Housing Society.

The minister said the managing committee of the National Assembly Secretariat Employees Cooperative Housing Society had been suspended and an administrator appointed to run its affairs.

The society, he said, had filed an appeal before the chief commissioner Islamabad for its restoration and the matter was subjudice. The house was also informed that the managing committee of Civilian Employees Cooperative Housing Society sold approximately 165 kanals and five marlas in September 2003 at the rate of Rs80,000 kanals and the amount of Rs13.204 million had been deposited in the society's account.

Meanwhile a source told Dawn that some of these housing societies had not acquired the required land but started giving memberships to the people. The source said though some of the societies did not fall in the jurisdiction of Islamabad, they were deceiving people by telling them that they would be given plots in the capital.

Some of the societies had to ensure provision of water in the water shortage areas but so far they had not developed sources of water for their members, the source said.