The federal government has decided to constitute a high-level committee on co-operative housing societies to be headed by Housing and Works Minister, Syed Safwanullah to check unauthorised sale of plots across the country by several housing societies.
Other members of the committee include, provincial Ministers for Co-operative Punjab, Sindh, NWFP, Balochistan, Chairman Capital Development Authority (CDA), Chairman Rawalpindi Development Authority (RDA), Chairman Karachi Development Authority (KDA), Chairman Lahore Development Authority (LDA), Chairman Securities and Exchange Commission of Pakistan (SECP), secretaries provincial co-operative departments, representatives of housing societies and federal secretary for housing and works division.
An official notification also said that committee may co-opt any other member as it may consider appropriate.
The basic objectives of the committee was to examine unauthorised sale of plots without fulfilling the prescribed conditions, to stop sale of plots in excess of the land actually held by the housing societies, mainly due to serious lacuma in the prerequisites of registration where societies are not required to submit land ownership documents.
The committee shall also look into indiscriminate and unauthorised usage of government departments' nomenclature to gain credibility.
It will also examine large-scale acquiring of land against the spirit of land acquisition scheme under which the development should first own major component of the land required for their project, for the government to acquire the balance small portions from owners who manipulate their advantageous position. However, conversely it also needs to be ensured that compensation paid to these owners is commensurate with sale price of developed plots in the respective housing societies, notification said.
The government has asked the committee members to look into the matter regarding absence of a single office to monitor the activities of housing societies and poor civic amenities and low standard of housing planning in various housing societies.
The committee will identify the problems in detail and will submit its recommendations including remedial measures for approval of the Prime Minister within two months.
Notification also made it clear that housing and works division would provide secretariat support to the committee on housing and works.