**ISLAMABAD: A parliamentary panel on Tuesday questioned the competence of the Housing and Works Ministry for its inability to complete various housing projects despite passage of so many years.

The Senate standing committee, which met here with Hidayatullah in the chair, regretted the slow pace of work on the housing projects, which were supposed to be completed long ago.**

The director-general (DG) Federal Government Employees Housing Authority (FGEHA) told the committee that four housing projects which were started in 2020 have been halted due to a huge increase in domestic and international prices of the building materials.

He said that 34 per cent booking was done in Chaklala Heights Apartments. The committee chairman asked the DG as to who would be responsible for Rs140 million per year cost escalation.

Senator Afnanullah Khan said that an assurance was given before the committee that the work on the project would be started soon, but there is still no light at the end of the tunnel.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2023