Punjab Minister of Housing, Urban Development and Public Health Engineer Mian Aslam Iqbal said that delay in the welfare schemes of the common man will not be tolerated under any circumstances.
He expressed these remarks while presiding over a meeting on the progress of low-cost housing schemes under the Naya Pakistan Housing Programme. The newly appointed minister was briefed about ADP, development schemes and different functions of
the sector.
According to details, the Punjab government has released Rs12740 million against a total of 217 ongoing schemes of urban development in the annual development programme 2022-23. There are also 58 new schemes under this head.
The total cost of these schemes is Rs273,506 million. The cost of the ongoing schemes is Rs404,453 million, while that of new projects is Rs69053 million. As per official documents, the total expenditure up to June 2022 was Rs39785 million.
“Low-cost housing schemes should be completed rapidly by working day and night,” he said, adding that a special cell would be set up to attract overseas Pakistanis to invest in the housing sector, while this will also provide support to overseas Pakistanis for investment in the housing sector.
The minister was also briefed told for the ex-PM Imran Khan’s affordable housing project in peri-urban areas, a total of 133 sites were identified in Punjab, while the Naya Pakistan Housing & Development Authority (NAPHDA) recommended 32 sites for the construction of 10,000 housing units.
It was also told that the government of Punjab provided state land at Rs10,000 per marla, establishing a revolving fund of Rs3 billion for construction works.
Iqbal said that it was regrettable to leave the housing scheme unattended after its launch, and LDA should create a mechanism for the maintenance of its housing schemes and also improve its image in the public. “The maintenance plan of housing societies should be made and adopted in LDA city, and the private sector should also be included in low-cost housing schemes,” he added.
He continued that priority should be given to low-cost housing schemes in divisional headquarters. “Naya Pakistan Housing Programme is our priority, and it has to be carried forward rapidly,” he said and directed to form a committee to gear up the pace of work on low-cost housing schemes.
In the meeting, the provincial minister was briefed by the heads of development authorities about the progress of various low-cost housing schemes.
During the briefing, it was informed that at least 35,000 apartments will be built on an area of eight thousand kanals in LDA City. In case of availability of funds, 4,000 apartments will be completed in six months. Work is underway on low-cost housing schemes in Renala Khurd, Lodhran, Layyah and Bhakkar.
He was also briefed about the Punjab Land Development Company (PLDC) established by the government of Punjab. It has the jurisdiction to plan, construct and allot low-cost housing units for low-income groups of society.
He was also told about the role of the Lahore Development Authority and different other companies and authorities working under the banner of the Housing and Urban Development Department. Naya Pakistan Housing project is the brainchild of the former premier Imran Khan.
