ISLAMABAD: The Senate Standing Committee on Housing and Works emphasized the need to prioritize the completion of existing projects rather than launching new initiatives without secured funding.
The committee was chaired by Senator Nasir Mehmood, in which, Senator Mehmood criticised the ministry’s approach of initiating new projects amid current financial constraints and urged a redirection of resources towards ongoing developments. In addition to discussing financial priorities, the committee reviewed the contested revocation of a housing allotment for a Senate employee’s widow, the transfer of federal projects to provincial administrations, and the housing quota allocation process for journalists.
The meeting saw active participation from senators, Raja Nasir Abbas, Bilal Ahmed Khan, Muhammad Aslam Abro, and Haji Hidayatullah Khan, along with senior officials from the Ministry of Housing and Works. The committee discussed the contested revocation of an allotment for a Senate employee’s widow, whose husband’s death in September 2023 left her without support.
The Director General of the Estate Office explained that, legally, the widow is entitled to occupy the allotted residence until her late husband’s retirement date. However, she would need to be added to the general waiting list to retain its long-term. He asserted that the decision was made based on legal stipulations, not personal bias.
Senator Nasir Mehmood, expressing empathy for the widow’s situation, proposed establishing a two-member subcommittee to resolve the issue, advocating for her continued occupancy of the residence. The proposed committee is expected to address any legal concerns, with a recommendation anticipated in the coming weeks.
The committee was briefed on the transfer of federal housing and works projects to provincial administrations. Pak PWD is currently overseeing the handover of 138 projects, with 27 already transferred. These include 42 projects in Punjab, 26 in Sindh, 57 in Balochistan, and 13 in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa.
The secretary of the Ministry of Housing and Works reported that provincial governments have been directed to assume responsibility for these projects, though readiness remains a concern. Given the financial constraints affecting the federal government, the additional secretary of finance noted that funding strategies are being evaluated to ensure support for priority projects. He added that recently initiated projects may be closed, allowing resources to focus on those nearing completion.
Senator Nasir Mehmood criticised the initiation of new projects without guaranteed funding and urged the ministry to concentrate on completing existing initiatives.
The committee also revisited the allocation of housing plots to journalists under the Ministry of Housing and Works. The secretary confirmed that 245 plots in sectors, G-13 and G-14 had already been assigned to journalists under a designated quota. However, opposition to this policy prompted the ministry to withdraw its initial summary. New nominations are expected to be submitted for allocation.
Addressing grievances from journalists, the Ministry of Information had formed a committee on February 1, 2024, including five journalist representatives, to oversee the allocation process. Journalist representatives voiced concerns over the ministry’s lack of an updated merit list, noting that while a seniority list was prepared over nine years, no new list has been released in the past 10 months. They called for an updated seniority-based merit list to ensure a fair allocation process.
In response, Senator Mehmood advised the ministry to expedite the process by forming a new committee to address the journalists’ concerns, recommending that a resolution be sought within a month.
Copyright Business Recorder, 2024
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