Summery Sent To PM For 70 Percent Increase In Ceiling Of Employees: Senate Told

Minister for Housing and Works Muhammad Akram Khan Durrani on Thursday apprised the Senate that a summery has been sent to the Prime Minister on August 11, 2017 for 70 per cent increase in rental ceiling of the government employees

ISLAMABAD, Sept 21 (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 21st Sep, 2017 ) : Minister for Housing and Works Muhammad Akram Khan Durrani on Thursday apprised the Senate that a summery has been sent to the Prime Minister on August 11, 2017 for 70 per cent increase in rental ceiling of the government employees.

Replying to various supplementary questions during Question Hour, the Minister said that the former Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif had increased 35 per cent increase in the rental ceiling of the government employees.

He said that he had sought 100 per cent increase in the ceiling,� however to flash flood and Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) of North Waziristan issue, the then PM Nawaz Sharif approved 35 percent increase.

He said he has sent a summery to the incumbent PM Shahid Khaqan Abbasi for 70 per cent increase in the ceiling. The minister said Federal Cabinet imposed ban on new construction of government accommodation on March 13,1995.

Hence, no new residential accommodation has been carried out, he added. Akram Durrani said the membership drive phase-I (Bara Kahu) for registration of FG Employees for allotment was launched in 2009 whereas process of issuance of Consent Letters was commenced in April, 2015.

He said the Supreme Court took on purchase of land in June 2009 and the case was disposed on February 27, 2013. The Supreme Court ordered that no escalation in the project cost on any ground be allowed.

He said M/s Green Tree also did not honor its obligation as per agreement and did not undertake preliminary development work of the area.

Instead it took stay order from Islamabad High Court and the matter remained subjudice in Islamabad High Court since 2014, he added.

He said now the issue of payment to M/s Green Tree has also been resolved with the help of NAB and Housing Foundation has made payment of Rs. 68 crore to M/s Green Tree through NAB to start development work.

As soon as, the construction agreement is finalized and signed, work would be started and completed within 2 years, he said. To another question, he said the applications of membership drive, Phase-II extension during the month of June-July, 2017 were invited through banks.

These applications were being received from Askari banks and Bank of Punjab. On receipts of all application forms, the work of data punching would be started and would be completed within one month.

After that the data would be uploaded within one week on web site of Housing Foundation. To a supplementary question, Akram Durrani said around 22,000 applications were received and efforts were being made that only eligible and deserving applicants be accommodated.

He said judges and journalists have constitutional quota adding that quota of the journalists has been increased. Since its inception, the House Foundations had only handed over 23,000 plots so far, he said and added that 55,000 offer letters were being handed over to the applicants in last four years. APP/raz-muk/ffr