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News Desk
Islamabad: The Senate Standing Committee on Housing and Works, held a meeting on Tuesday to examine the causes of delays in CDA and FGEHA projects and to address the unauthorized use of government accommodations by other departments without approval or rent payment.
The meeting , chaired by Senator Nasir Mehmood, was attended by Senators Bilal Ahmed Khan, Saifullah Abro, Husna Bano, Khalida Ateeb, Saifullah Sarwar Khan Nyazee, and Hidayat Ullah Khan.
The Chairman commended the contributions of all committee members regarding the issue of illegal possession of accommodations belonging to the Ministry of Housing and Works in Wafaqi Colony, Lahore, by the Punjab Police. He stated that the Punjab Police had illegally occupied these accommodations since 1990 and had never paid rent for their use.
Following stern directions from the Committee, the Punjab Police paid Rs. 1.6 million in rent, covering usage up to the year 2024, and assured the committee that the remaining dues would be cleared in the upcoming financial year.
The committee was also briefed on the non-payment of rent since March 2021 by the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) for its use of a building belonging to the Ministry of Housing and Works in Federal Lodges, Wafaqi Colony, Dhana Singh Wala, Lahore. It was revealed that a total of Rs. 480 million remains unpaid, and the building has still not been vacated. The matter is currently pending a decision from the prime minister’s office.
The committee noted that no formal agreement had been signed between the ministry and NAB. The chairman expressed strong displeasure over the ministry’s negligence in this matter. Senator Saifullah Abro urged government departments to avoid such practices and to ensure proper documentation when signing agreements.
The chairman directed both departments to resolve the issue within one month, warning that failure to implement the Committee’s decisions would result in the summoning and possible punishment of the officers responsible.
Regarding the construction of Islamabad Jail, the chairman CDA briefed the committee that the project was transferred from PWD to CDA on June 26, 2024, with a revised cost of Rs. 7.4 billion. In Phase I, construction of the Admin Block and boundary wall has reached 98% completion, while roads and infrastructure are 75% complete. He attributed the delays to funding issues from the Ministry of Planning and Development.
The committee expressed serious concern over the delayed release of funds by the Ministry of Finance and other relevant authorities. It directed that the Ministries of Planning and Development and Finance be summoned to brief the committee on delays in releasing funds to the Ministry of Interior for CDA projects. Upon request from the Chairman CDA, the Committee also recommended hiring the necessary human resources to operate the jail.
On the issue of malfunctioning lifts in the Shaheed-e-Millat Building, the Chairman CDA informed the Committee that only one out of five lifts is operational. Although one additional lift has been repaired, three are still non-functional. A tender notice worth Rs. 120 million has been issued for their repair.
The committee was also informed that certain lifts in the Shaheed-e-Millat Building and other government offices are reserved for VIPs and senior officers, and are not accessible to the general public or lower-ranking government employees. The Committee took serious notice of this VIP culture and directed the CDA to eliminate such practices, ensuring equal access to all lifts.
The Joint Secretary, Ministry of Housing and Works, briefed the Committee on the seniority list for the allotment of government accommodations to federal employees. He stated that there is a backlog of 26,000 applications, while only 17,000 government houses are available in Islamabad. The committee deemed the briefing insufficient and directed the ministry to submit a list of illegal allotments along with the names of the officers involved.
The committee also ordered the immediate discontinuation of all functions of the Restoration Committee and directed the Ministry to submit a comprehensive report at the next meeting.
It was also observed that the Federal Government Employees Housing Authority (FGEHA) is not awarding tenders uniformly to firms, is not actively pursuing its projects, and has failed to deliver completed projects to end users.
Senator Saifullah Abro expressed concern over the increasing cost of FGEHA projects due to delays, with the burden being passed on to the end users. The committee directed FGEHA to submit a complete list of all ongoing projects, including detailed cost breakdowns.
