Senate body directs FGEHA to complete Green Enclave in 18 months
ISLAMABAD: The Senate Standing Committee on Housing and Works on Tuesday directed the Federal Government Employees Housing Authority (FGEHA) to get stalled Green Enclave’s development work completed in 18 months.
The committee, which met with Senator Nasir Mehmood in the chair, besides other agenda items took up the issue of the stalled housing scheme in Bhara Kahu, which was launched in 2009.
The FGEHA informed the committee that negotiations with the Joint Venture (JV) partner had been concluded and approval from the FGEHA Board was awaited regarding cost escalation. Meanwhile, the JV partner assured the committee that Green Enclave-I would be completed within the next 18 months.
Following assurances from the secretary housing and the JV partner, the committee chairman directed that the project be completed within 18 months. Meanwhile, National Accountability Bureau (NAB) informed the committee that an inquiry into the project had been quashed following clearance from the Supreme Court of Pakistan in 2018. However, despite the clearance, the committee was told that the project remained incomplete for several years, resulting in significant cost escalation and hardship for allottees.
The committee expressed serious concern over the prolonged delay and difficulties faced by the affected people and unanimously resolved to protect their legitimate rights. The chairman questioned the performance of FGEHA’s joint venture (JV) partner and its ability to fulfill contractual obligations, particularly in view of the prolonged delay.
The committee earlier observed that FGEHA had not invoked any penalty clause despite the delays by the JV partner. It was also noted that although the land had been transferred to FGEHA, development and construction work had remained stalled.
The committee was informed that a third-party evaluation of the ongoing construction had been conducted by a consultant and that the amount released corresponded to approximately 52 per cent of the work completed.
Meanwhile, after the Senate committee meeting, the allottees also issued a statement saying that the committee’s intervention and the 18-month completion assurance had revived their hope.
“Today’s directive has revived our hope that Green Enclave-I will finally see the completion of development work,” said Chaudhary Amjad Ali, an allottee. Allottees Ahsanul Haq and Rana Arshad welcomed the decision of the committee.
Meanwhile, the committee also examined the alleged annexation of Shamilaat and forest lands in the FGEHA’s Sky Gardens housing scheme, being developed near Green Enclave-I. The committee was informed that the JV partner had transferred the land to FGEHA free of cost; however, the Supreme Court had directed that no construction or development be carried out on Shamilaat land.
NAB informed the committee that its inquiry into the alleged annexation of Shamilaat land in Mouza Mengal had been reopened after FGEHA issued an addendum including Mouza Mengal in the development works for the Sky Gardens housing scheme.
FGEHA maintained that the Assistant Collector and Additional Deputy Commissioner Revenue (ADCR) had decided the matter in its favour, upholding the authority’s position that the disputed land was a settled land and not Shamilaat. The Secretary Housing, however, informed the committee that development work on approximately 2,600 kanals had been halted immediately and assured that no development would take place on the disputed land until final determination of the matter.
The committee was further informed that the question of whether the disputed land constituted Shamilaat or otherwise was pending before the Senior Member Board of Revenue (SMBR). FGEHA also informed the committee that an interpretation of the Supreme Court’s judgement would be sought through the Federal Constitutional Court.
The chairman directed NAB to conduct an impartial, transparent and merit-based inquiry into the matter.