The National Assembly Standing Committee on Housing and Works recommended the utilization of a 5 percent repair and maintenance allowance on Federal Government-owned accommodations to prevent their further deterioration.
This allowance is deducted at source from the salaries of Federal Government employees for this very purpose. The decision was taken in the 12th meeting of the Standing Committee on Housing and Works, which was held under the Chairmanship of Engineer Muhammad Najeeb Haroon.
During the discussion, the Committee was informed by the Ministry of Housing and Works that a 5 percent repair and maintenance allowance, deducted at source from the salaries of Federal Government employees was being collected by the Finance Division to the Ministry of Housing and Works on account of salaries of work charge employees of the Pak PWD, thus leading to non-repair or maintenance of the Federal Government-owned accommodation.
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The Committee then recommended the Finance Division to look into the matter and ensure that repair and maintenance allowance be utilized for the said purpose to avoid their further deterioration.
Regarding the shortage of Federal Government-owned accommodations, the Committee viewed that the huge gap between the required and existing number was causing concern amongst the Federal Government employees. Thus, the Committee recommended the Ministry for Housing and Works to look into the matter, take up the matter with the competent authorities for seeking approval to construct new accommodations, and bridge the gap.
Regarding the development schemes in the province of Sindh under the Public Sector Development Program (PSDP), the Committee was informed that all those projects pending approval by the government were being undertaken.
The Committee noted that coating layers on the existing roads and streets, without dismantling the earlier ones, was raising the surface level of the said roads higher than the existing buildings and houses, causing concern amongst inhabitants of the area.
The Committee, therefore, directed the Ministry to ensure that all such projects of roads/streets should be undertaken with due diligence and completed within the stipulated period.
On the briefing given by the Director-General, Federal Government Employees Housing Authority (FGEHA) regarding Sectors G-14/1, 2, and 3, and F-12 and G-12, the Committee expressed satisfaction and directed the department to gear up the pace of work and ensure timely completion of all the projects as well as handing over the possessions to the allottees.
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Besides the Minister for Housing & Works, the meeting was attended by Mehboob Shah, Malik Anwar Taj, Malik Karamat Ali Khokhar, Makhdoom Syed Sami-ul-Hassan Gillan, Ch. Javed Iqbal Warrnich, Zille Huma, Wajiha Akram, Salahuddin, Iqbal Muhammad Ali Khan, Muhammad Israr Tareen, Chaudhry Abid Raza, Azhar Qayyum Nahra, Muhammad Junaid Anwar Chaudhry, Tahira Aurangzeb, Seema Mohiuddin Jameeli, Abid Hussain Bhayo, Jam Abdul Karim Bijar, Syed Agha Rafiullah, Syed Mehmood Shah, MNAs/ Members.
The senior officers of the Ministry of Housing and Works, Ministry of Planning, Development, and Reform, Finance Division, Federal Government Employees Housing Authority and Pakistan Public Works Department were also present in the meeting.
