• March 6, 2013
• General News
• Web Desk

By: NAVEED BUTT

Islamabad: The Public Accounts Committee (PAC) has recommended that there should be no special quota for allotment of plots for judges and journalists and for allotment of agricultural land to military officers except the disabled, widows and families of martyrs.

According to a report of the PAC submitted by its Chairman Nadeem Afzal Gondal in the House, the policy of allotment of a second plot under the Prime Minister’s Special Package for BS-22 Officers was suggested to be discontinued, in the future, as it was discriminatory. The PAC recommended in the report that allotment of agricultural land to military officers be stopped except for widows and families of martyrs.

It was also recommended in the report that provision of plots by the Executive to independent and impartial sections, like judges and journalists, could lead to allegations of partiality or bias in their work. Therefore, there should be no special quota for allotment of plots except for the disabled, widows and families of martyrs.

It also recommended that the Ministry of Housing and Works and Establishment Division should be tasked to prepare a database indicating plot/land allotted to the Federal Government employees serving anywhere in Pakistan. Provincial Governments must provide details of plots allotted to the Federal Government officers, to the Establishment Division, Ministry of Housing & Works and the PAC Secretariat.

The Government may take appropriate measures for cancellation/refund of price of plot to officers who may have been allotted more than two plots anywhere in Pakistan. The priority allotments to the Executive Committee of Federal Government Employees Housing Foundation (FGEHF) may be withdrawn and discontinued. The FGEHF should strictly follow the rules and criteria of allotment of plots on the basis of age and seniority.

The FGEHF and Pakistan Housing Authority (PHA) should not allot plots to anybody in contravention of an original/ initial approved scheme. Transfer of allotted plots from one sector to the other under the Hon. Prime Minister’s special assistance package or under the age-wise seniority scheme, be cancelled.

The affidavits submitted by employees in connection with allotment of plots be scrutinised/ verified. If an officer’s affidavit is proved as false, necessary action may be taken against him. The plots allotted to such officer should be cancelled and in case he has sold the plot, market price be recovered from him. The minutes of the meeting of the Executive Committee of FGEHF be placed on the website along with its composition. FGEHF, PHA, CDA and other institutions should focus on construction of vertical structures instead of horizontal extensions.

CDA may come up with schemes for provision of flats to its employees instead of plots. Allotment of plots to deputationists in CDA be stopped. It was also recommended that the Federal Government employees are underpaid and could not be expected to fulfil their housing requirements on their own. Special, transparent and equitable schemes to help and assist them in this regard were direly needed. Such schemes should also make provision for monthly contributions by the employees so that on retirement they may be allotted constructed house, accordingly.

The special report of the PAC is placed before the National Assembly for adoption of appropriate measures for implementation of the recommendations of the Public Accounts Committee. Earlier, Chairman Standing Committee on Human Rights Riaz Fatyana also presented reports on ‘The Prohibition of Corporal Punishment Bill, 2010 and The Reproductive Healthcare and Rights Bill, 2010 presented in the House.

Source: Business Recorder