ISLAMABAD: A parliamentary panel on Tuesday took notice of the VIP culture in some government buildings where ordinary citizens and employees are not allowed to use the facility of lifts.
The Senate Standing Committee on Housing and Works, which met with Senator Nasir Mehmood in the chair, discussed the issue of dysfunctional lifts of highrise Shaheed-i-Millat building.
During discussion, the committee was informed that in the Shaheed-i-Millat building and other government offices, some lifts are specifically reserved for VIPs and senior officers while the public or government employees are not allowed to use them.
The committee took serious notice of VIP culture in government buildings and directed the CDA to eliminate such practice and ensure that all lifts are accessible to the general public.
On the issue of malfunctioning of lifts in the Shaheed-i-Millat building, the CDA chairman informed the committee that out of the five lifts, three were still non-functional. The CDA chief said the civic agency had issued a tender notice of Rs120 million for the repair of the three lifts.
While briefing on the progress of the construction of Islamabad jail, the CDA chairman said the project was handed over by the Public Works Department (PWD) to CDA with a revised cost of Rs7.4 billion on June 26, 2024.
The committee was told that in Phase I, the construction of the Admin Block and boundary wall had been completed up to 98pc, while roads and infrastructure up to 75pc. He said delay in funding led to delay in the completion of project.
The committee expressed concern over the delay in fund disbursement by the finance ministry and other concerned authorities and directed that the representatives of ministries of planning and development and finance be summoned to brief the committee on the delay in releasing funds to the interior ministry for CDA projects.
The committee chairman, upon the request of the CDA chairman, recommended that the necessary human resources be hired to operate the jail.
Govt accommodation
During the course of the hearing, Joint Secretary, Ministry of Housing, briefed the committee on the seniority list for the allotment of government accommodations to federal employees. He informed the committee that the ministry had a backlog of 26,000 applications, while there were only 17,000 houses available in Islamabad.
The committee found the briefing insufficient and directed the ministry to provide a list of illegal allotments and the names of officers involved in such unlawful practices.
Meanwhile, the committee also noted that Federal Government Employees Housing Authority (FGEHA) is not awarding tenders uniformly to firms, is not seriously pursuing its projects, and has failed to deliver completed projects to end users.
Senator Saifullah Abro criticised the rising costs of FGEHA projects caused by delays on their part, with the burden passed on to the end users. The committee directed FGEHA to submit a list of all ongoing projects, including complete details and associated costs in next meeting.
Wafaqi Colony building vacated
The committee chairman commended the input of all members regarding the vacation of illegally possessed accommodations of the Ministry of Housing and Works in Wafaqi Colony, Lahore, by the Punjab police. He further informed the meeting that the Punjab police had illegally occupied the said accommodations since 1990 and had never paid a single penny in lieu of using them. During the committee meeting, Punjab police submitted the compliance report over the directions passed by the committee. Punjab police paid Rs1.6 million in rent, up to the year 2024 and assured the committee that the remaining rent would be paid in the upcoming financial year.
The Senate committee was also briefed on the non-payment of rent since March 2021 by the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) for the use of a building of the Ministry of Housing and Works in Federal Lodges, Wafaqi Colony, Dhana Singh Wala, Lahore.
It was revealed that a total of Rs480 million had yet not been paid to the ministry, and the building had still not been vacated.
It was further informed that the decision on the matter was pending with the Prime Minister’s Office.
The committee found that no agreement had been signed between the two departments. The chairman expressed serious displeasure over the negligence of the Ministry of Housing and Works. The chairman directed both departments to settle the matter within one month, warning that if they fail to implement the committee’s decision, the officers involved in the negligence will be summoned and punished.
Published in Dawn, May 21st, 2025