Bureaucrats, journalists avail cheaper accommodation
By Asim Yasin
ISLAMABAD: Though Islamabad is turning into a high rented area for commoners working in the capital city, the bureaucrats and some journalists are privileged to get government accommodation at cheaper rents.
According to information placed in the National Assembly on Friday, government officers accommodated at Gulshan-e-Jinnah are paying Rs5,000 per month for their family lodge while those working in the non-entitled departments/autonomous bodies are paying Rs6,000 per month. Minister for Housing and Works placed the record of those residing in Gulshan-e-Jinnah and Federal Lodges in reply to a question of Tahira Aurangzeb. It was disclosed that at the Federal Lodges a single room to government officers is provided at the rate of Rs90 per day, family suit Rs180 per day and FG Chummery Lodge at Rs60 per day. Those working in non-entitled departments/autonomous/semi-autonomous bodies but accommodated at the Gulshan-e-Jinnah are paying Rs110 per day for single room, Rs220 per day for family suit and Rs75 per day for FG Chummery. Besides hundreds of top bureaucrats, many journalists working in different media organizations including the official news agency, PTV, PBC and private media icons are also provided official accommodation at cheaper rates.
The journalist accommodated at Gulshan-e-Jinnah are Naveed Miraj, Zahid Jhangvi, Mushtaq Minhas, Sameer Ahmed, Rao Khalid Mehmood, Malik Manzoor, Tariq Mehmood Summair, Amir Ilyas Rana, Sajjad Tareen, Zahid Mehmood Malik, Sabir Shakir, Wajid Rasool, Khizar Hayat Klasra and Mazhar Tufail.
The present government allotted family lodges to three journalists Sajjad Tareen, Khizar Kalasra and Sabir Shakir while the other journalists got allotments during the previous government. Syed Moshin Raza and Syed Mujtaba Rizwan, both working with daily Assas, are accommodated at Shah Abdul Latif Bhattai Lodges.
When a top housing ministry official was contacted by The News, he confirmed that there was no rule whatsoever for the allotment of flats in Gulshan-e-Jinnah to journalists. “Allotments made to a number of journalists in Gulshan-e-Jinnah are without support of any rules,” the official said adding “All these allotments to journalists were made on recommendations of the government top guns.”
Source: The News
Date:12/25/2010
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