By Asim Hussain
ISLAMABAD: Chairman Senate Standing Committee on Housing and Works, Senator Haji Hidayatullah Khan chaired the meeting of Senate Body held at Parliament House on Monday during which price dispute between the land owners of Village Tamma and Morian and a Housing Society of Supreme Court Bar Association (SCBA) came under discussion.
DG Housing Authority Tariq Rashid informed the committee that there is a dispute between land owners and Housing society and the officials of the Ministry are not involved in the dispute that took place on this land. He further said that the rate has also been revised and increased in these villages. The Secretary Housing argued that the land which was sold by the people five to ten years ago has become expensive today and negotiations are being made to settle the matter and all efforts are being made to speak to all stakeholders, and start development after coming to consensus. It was informed that a Land Supervisor Committee headed by the then sitting Judge Honorable Mr. Justice Maqbool Baqir was formed which, after holding meetings with the stakeholders decided a rate of 3,400,000/- Per kanal (Rs 1,725,000/- Award amount plus Rs. 1675000/- against easement for possession for Moza Mohrian including 15pc necessary acquisition charges. He said that FGEHA’ Executive Board has also endorsed proposed rate of the said Land Supervisory Committee in its 22nd meeting dated 03-08-2022 which will be applicable on whole Moza Mohrian.
Tariq Rashid further informed that as of now statement for almost 800 Kanal land have been recorded in FGEHA’s and payment thereof to the respective landowners has also been released , for land Sharing Fardat of around 800 Kanal Land of SCBAP’s share have been received out of which 616 kanals and cleared and remaining are under process. The committee directed to hold meetings between the community and the chief commissioner Islamabad and play role of a mediator to sought out the matter and make a way forward to redress the matter in consensus. The committee sought report on the same in the next meeting
The committee also discussed the matter of PWD regarding the alleged embezzlement in utilization of SDGs, programme fund at Tribal Districts of Mohmand, Bajaur and Khyber of erstwhile FATA. The matter of irregularities in SDGs programme in PWD projects in Mohmand, Bajaur and Khyber districts was raised by Senator Hilal-ur-Rehman. He said that PWD hollowing out foundations of the country and committing huge theft he lamented that their officers draft PC-1 of projects in Mohmand even without making visits and there is not a single No-objection certificate (NOC) obtained for any scheme he said.
Senator Hilal-ur-Rehman further said that on March 28, 2018, a tender worth Rs. 48 crore was opened by the PWD and a day later the work order was issued, he said that the PWD placed 850 km total pipeline in one night in a project which does not exist in Pakistan. He said that their officers came to my house and tried to bribe me he lamented the Mafia in PWD which give schemes to only two or three blue eyed contractors. PWD worked 3 million feet in Shabqadar in three days, which is not acceptable, said the Senator. “I told the DGPWD several times that your people are thieves,” he stated. He also lamented that officer involved in corruption was also reinstated.
Senator Hilal-ur-Rehman the DG PWD said that NAB is conducting an inquiry on this, the matter is in court. He said that one company Ahmad & CO is own by the son of a DG of NAB and the Chief Engineer is also involved in all these irregularities, the DG PWD said that XEN was suspended on June 8 before my arrival and XEN restored to the same seat later.
The committee recommended suspending the Chief Engineer and other officers involved and directed to take action.
Senator Bahramand Khan Tangi also said that he will bring an adjournment motion against it and also present evidence again fake documents used in the project. The Ministry presented that local people of District Mohmand and Khyber filed a Writ Petition in Peshawar High Court seeking the revival of fund and execution of development scheme in their respective Ares. The Judicial Proceedings are in progress and the outcome will be intimated as and when the same is received. The contractor has also filed a writ Petition in Peshawar High Court Peshawar Seeking the revival of schemes. The judicial proceeding on the same is in progress.
On the matter of details of commercial properties leased out by the Estate office in Islamabad during the last five years it was informed by the Estate office that no commercial properties in Islamabad therefore reply in the part of this office may be treated as nil
Earlier in the meeting, briefing by the secretary housing and works and chief commissioner Islamabad regarding allocation of funds from 2014-2018 for the development works in various sectors in Islamabad ICT was given. The committee was given details on the work of ICT executed by North Zone From 2004-2018 and details of work of ICT executed by Project Civil Division no III Pak PWD Islamabad.
The meeting was attended by Senators, Bahramand Khan Tangi, Khalida Ateeb, Hilal-ur-Rehman, Fida Khan, Saifullah Abro, Mulana Abdul Ghafoor Haderi and Senator Afnan Ullah Khan. Senior officials from the Ministry and other concerned departments were also present on the occasion.
