KOHAT, Jan 2: The new government housing scheme at Jarma has flopped due to unprecedented rise in the rates of plots.

The government had a total of 35,000 kanal of land in the Jarma area out of which 26,000 kanals had been allotted to people who were already occupying the land, on a court order. The new housing scheme has been launched on just 300 kanals while the remaining land has been reserved for building a police colony and district secretariat.

But shockingly in the new housing scheme, the people are being offered a plot of 10 marla for Rs900,000 and five marla for Rs450,000, respectively.

It is important to note here that the chief minister Khyber Pakhtunkhwa had distributed allotment letters of 26, 000 kanal of land among the occupants at the prices ranging between just Rs31,000 per kanal to Rs131,000.

The high price of plots in the new scheme has kept the plot seekers away from even buying the brochures of the scheme. The government has fixed as down payment Rs167,000 for 10 marla and Rs65,000 for five marla plots, respectively. The payment of rest of the money is to be made in only four installments.

Notwithstanding exorbitant prices the government is giving an impression that the new housing scheme is meant for providing shelter to poor and middle-class.

In the new housing scheme 50 per cent quota of total 300 plots of ten marlas and five marlas has been fixed for the government servants. About 37 kanals of land has been reserved for construction of four apartments.

It may be recalled that the whole 35,000 kanals of Jarma land was originally given to the local Banoori family for their loyalty to the British in mid 1800s. But with the passage of time the outsiders occupied the land.

To reclaim the land the Banoori family has filed a case in the court.