National News

ISLAMABAD, Sep 29 (APP): Minister for Housing and Works Akram
Khan Durrani has said 20,000 acre of land had been purchased
at Brakahu and 10,000 Kanal of land at Thalian and development work
would soon be initiated.
Addressing meet the press programme here, the minister said the ministry had already issued allotment letters to 55,000 plots and Pakistan Housing Authority (PHA) had also issued allotment letters to owners of 7,000 plots.
He said PHA had developed and handed over only 23,000 plots
before his joining as minister while Housing Foundation had
developed 5,000 plots in last three years.
The minister claimed that certain Private Housing Societies and some
elements in Bureaucracy used to create hurdles in conceiving in new
government housing schemes.
Stories of corruption in Thalian Housing scheme were baseless,
he said adding PAC had already investigated in the reported
corruption of Rs 24 billion in Thalian Housing Scheme.
A plot was available in Thalian at only Rs 2.4 million. An interchange was being constructed in Thalian. Private Housing societies were
charging Rs 150 million.
Journalists’ quota had been enhanced to two percent. A summery
had been moved to enhance housing rent allowance of government
servants.
He announced enhancing journalists quota in government housing
schemes and said he was fully aware of compulsions of journalist
community.
The minister said he had launched a housing society for
journalist of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa during his tenure as Chief
Minister.