Senate body briefed on Thalian, FGEHA housing schemes

The Senate Standing Committee on Housing and Works held a briefing on Wednesday regarding government accommodation for public officials, including the Green Land and Sky Garden projects in Rawalpindi, the Thalian Housing Scheme, and the Federal Government Employees Housing Authority (FGEHA) housing schemes. The committee, chaired by Senator Nasir Butt, received an update from the Commissioner of Rawalpindi and the Additional Deputy Commissioner Revenue.

The commissioner informed the committee that the Supreme Court had ruled in 2018 to recover common land, issuing notices to housing societies and taking action as per court directives. No activity was currently taking place on the land, with construction at Green Land demolished. A digital map of the land had been prepared, and monitoring continued to protect the area. Forest land would be maintained in its original condition, and records of the cases were being collected for further review.

The Thalian Housing Scheme applicants briefed the committee, seeking relief after years of uncertainty. They stated that the scheme was launched in 2015, leading to deposits with the Ministry of Housing. However, the scheme was later discontinued, and applicants have been waiting for a suitable resolution. Approximately 5,000 people were affected, and the committee emphasized the need for an alternative housing arrangement.

The committee reviewed the progress of FGEHA's housing schemes and other institutions, emphasizing timely completion. They also discussed the housing quota for journalists and media workers in F-14, F-15, and Bara Kahu. Senator Jan Mohammad stressed the importance of restoring the journalist quota to 2pc, which had been traditionally allocated. The committee supported the proposal and directed that the matter concerning 37 journalists be taken up with the relevant forum.