ISLAMABAD, Aug 8: The Senate Standing Committee on Works has taken exception to the unauthorized occupation of over 255 government houses in the federal capital and 297 houses in Karachi.

The committee met here on Saturday under the chairmanship of Senator Dr Mohammad Ali Brohi and discussed the matter of these illegal occupations which in some cases were by officials of law enforcement agencies.

The committee was told that the ministry was trying its best to evict the unauthorized occupants. The committee decided to take up the issue with the interior ministry at appropriate level to ensure strict enforcement of government orders.

Dr Mohammed Ali Brohi underlined the need for transparency at all levels and said no irregularity would be tolerated. The committee was informed that there was acute shortage of houses in the federal capital and that the general waiting list for allotment of government accommodation would be put on the website after it had been revised.

The committee called upon the Ministry of Housing and Works to ensure that government employees were allotted accommodation on merit and in accordance with the rules. The committee members suggested that the ministry should come out with appropriate suggestions for providing accommodation to government employees and also for providing plots to the poor government employees.

It was suggested that the government should consider the proposal to involve the private sector in the construction business for building houses for federal government employees on mutually agreeable terms.

Regarding phase-II of the Federal Government Employees Housing Foundation Scheme (FGEHF), the committee was informed that sectors D-12 and E-12 were announced by the CDA in 1990 and that the share of FGEHF in the two sectors was 1,274 and 1,551 plots only. The foundation launched the scheme for allotment to federal government employees in 1992. -APP