Islamabad, October 12, 2022 (PPI-OT):The Standing Committee on Housing and Works directs the Ministry of Housing and Works to get engaged the Capital Development Authority (CDA); prior to undertake the Urban Regeneration Project in Islamabad, especially, around Kohsar Market in F-6/3 Islamabad, in order to avoid any inconvenience in future.
22 meeting of the Standing Committee on Housing and Works held today at 11:00 am. in the Parliament House, Islamabad, under the Chairmanship of Dr. Fahad ullah, MNA. On an agenda item concerning future plan of Ministry of Housing and Works regarding Federal Government Owned Accommodations (FGOAS) located at prime locations in Islamabad, the Secretary, Ministry of Housing and Works, informed the Committee that they had moved a summary for the Hon. Prime Minister through Secretaries, Finance and Cabinet Divisions.
Respectively, proposing utilization of Abandoned Properties Organization Houses (APO); especially around Kobsar Market in F-6/3 Islamabad, through Public Private Partnership (PPP), for Urban Regeneration and Gentrification Schemes, by way of construction of executive apartments, boutique hotels, to promote tourism and upscale restaurants through Joint Venture (JV) agreement/leasing while maintaining the ownership of the property and generating maximum revenue for the movement according to the prevailing market price.
Moreover, an International Housing Expo-2022 was being organized by the Ministry during December 8-11, 2022. He added. The Commitment; taking note of the same, directed the Ministry to get engaged the CDA prior to undertaking the requisite Urban Regeneration Project in order to avoid any inconvenience in future.
Regarding the issue of additional constructions in Federal Government Owned Residential Accommodations (FGORAs) and their subletting by the allottees, the DG, Estate: Department, informed the Committee that a Coordination Committee; constituted by the Ministry under the chairmanship of Joint Secretary, was looking into these issues.
The Standing Committee inquired that how many times the administration of ICT was got engaged by the said Coordination Committee for demolishing of such unauthorized constructions. The DG (Estate) could not give satisfactory reply, however, the Deputy Commissioner ICT, in his response, assured the Committee their fullest support to the Coordination Committee in that regard.
The Standing Committee directed that the chairman of the Coordination Committee should get accomplished the long outstanding task of survey concerning illegal constructions in FGORA and their subletting, take all sorts of actions with the help of ICT and submit report on weekly basis to the Committee.
About the agenda item relating to determination of rates for development schemes of roads and solarisation, the DG, PWD, claimed that their rates were lower than other government departments both in the Federation and the Provinces.
The Committee, refuting the claim, directed the DG, PWD, to provide in the next meeting, a detailed comparison of rates of different Federal and Provincial Departments in respect of development schemes.
On the issue of commercial units (petrol pumps and shops) leased out by Este Department, the Committee referring to a decision of the Hon. Supreme Court of Pakistan directed the DG (Estate) to ensure revision and enhancement of rental charges of these commercial units as per market rates on annual basis instead of conservative enhancement basis of 10% annually.
The DG, Estate Department, was further directed by the Committee to provide detailed report containing names of allottees of all the commercial units with their location and rental changes in the next meeting.
The Join Secretary of the Ministry informed the Committee that following the directions of the Committee; made during its previous meeting, the matter regarding shifting the administrative control of Pakistan Environmental Planning and Architectural Consultants (PEPAC) from Ministry of Housing and Works to Ministry of Planning and Development was dully taken up with the Ministry of Planning and Development. In response, they informed that the
Hon. Minister for Planning was desirous to have a briefing on the issue but unfortunately the said briefing could not be taken by the Hon. Minister due to his engagements. The Committee; reiterating its earlier stance, again directed the Ministry to vigorously pursue the Ministry of Planning and Development for the briefing in question and get concluded the issue.
Besides the Hon. Minister for Housing and Works, the meeting was attended by Mr. Azhar Qayyum Nahra, Mr. Muhammad Junaid Anwar Chaudhry, Ms. Tahira Aurangzeb, Ms Seema Mohiuddin Jameeli, Syed Agha Rafiullah, Syed Mehmood Shah, and Mr. Muhammad Abu: Bakar and Makhdoom Syed Sami-ul-Hassan Gillani, MNAs/Members. The senior officers of Ministry of Housing and Works, Pak. PWD, PHAF, PEPAC and Estate Office were also present in the meeting.
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