ISLAMABAD: As with many abortive or delayed past housing projects, the “non-acquisition” of land has been the key factor that landed five housing projects launched by the Ministry of Housing and Works in the capital in trouble soon after they were launched, depriving hundreds of applicants of their properties.

However, the Naya Pakistan Housing Authority is believed to be a remedy to this ill as, unlike the Federal Government Employees Housing Foundation (FGEHF), it will be empowered to acquire land for government housing projects.

Salaried individuals, including government employees close to retirement have deposited money to book plots in five housing projects launched by the FGEHF in the last three years, the first of which was opened in 2016.

These are the Housing Scheme Phase VI in Bhara Kahu, Housing Scheme Phase VI in F-14 and F-15, Housing Scheme Phase VIII in Thallian near Islamabad International Airport, Housing Scheme Phase IV(EHFPRO)and Housing Scheme Phase X on Park Road.

The housing foundation began a membership drive to register government employees in 2009, when members were registered on a first-come-first-serve basis. The drive ended in February 2014 with almost 36,000 registered employees.

Around 100,000 federal employees registered themselves in the second membership drive, which was carried out on an age-wise seniority basis, from April 2015 to July 2017.

Except for the execution of some earthwork on land earmarked for the project in Bhara Kahu, all the other schemes are said to be in doldrums.

Soon after the FGEHG launched four of these projects, the Islamabad High Court (IHC) halted any work on them on the grounds that the foundation did not have the mandate to acquire land and developing housing schemes in Islamabad, which was the sole prerogative of the Capital Development Authority (CDA).

Dawn has learnt that the FGEHF project in F-14 and F-15 was halted when the original landowners obtained stays from court, arguing that they had not been received the payment they demanded for their property.

A housing foundation official who did not wish to be named said the project in Bhara Kahu was being executed under the supervision of the National Accountability Court. Another near Ingori Road had stalled because of the sensitivity of the area, he said.

The official said the Thallian project was abandoned because the contractor, K.S. Builders, did not acquire land.

He said the contractor had to acquire 7,000 kanals of land but only managed 1,300 kanals and asked the FGEHF to receive the land in portions because it was difficult to acquire the entire area in one go.

The foundation refused the contractor’s proposal and did not pay for the 1,300 kanals. The contractor then left, and the project has been idle since, he said. The foundation has sought a private contractor’s assistance to acquire the land, since the IHC has already decided the FGEHF does not have the mandate to do so itself.

In the meantime, applicants for plots in these projects have been left waiting for their lucky day when the foundation has acquired the land and begins developing it. It is thenthat the applicants will receive letters from the foundation asking them to deposit more money and become the true owners of plots carved out in these schemes.

The lack of land acquisition is the main hurdle to developing the schemes, an FGEHF spokesperson told Dawn. He added that it has also happened that when an authority acquired land for housing projects, troublemaking landowners go to court seeking “undue benefits” and obtain stays.

“The same thing happened to our schemes in the F-14 and F-15 sectors, where some locals got stays from the court and caused any development work there to be suspended,” the official said.

The foundation has managed to secure land for its project in Bhara Kahu, and development work has begun in one phase but there has not been any progress so far on the second. A total of 4,000 plots have to be carved out in both phases, with 2,000 in each.

The foundation has filed an appeal in the Supreme Court asking that it should be allowed to acquire land and launch housing schemes, especially after the PTI government began its flagship Naya Pakistan Housing Project.

Some plot applicants have also filed petitions in the same case, asking why they were subjected to mental and financial stress from not being provided the plots they sought two years ago by depositing money with the foundation.

“We are hoping that the court will give us and all the applicants relief in this case,” the official said.

Some of the applicants, who are government employees, said that when they filed their applications they thought they would receive their plots in a year or two and begin building their homes.

“I believe the situation will remain the same even after I retire,” said Abdul Qayyum, who has just two years left of his service.

He said that with the rise in prices today, it has become difficult for him to keep renting and he wants to own his own home.

Majid Ali borrowed money from a relative to make the initial payment with his application, hoping he would return the money once he became the owner of the plot.

“Now I am stuck in a difficult situation, because I do not have the plot nor can I return the money because of financial constraints and inflation,” he said.

Intikhab Khan, another applicant, retired from service just a month ago. He thought that by selling his plots he would be able to pay for his daughter’s wedding.

“I don’t know how much longer I have to wait,” he said.

The establishment of the Naya Pakistan Housing Authority could resolve this situation as it has the mandate to acquire land for any project launched or to be launched by the FGEHF, and will now acquire land in Thallian and other areas.

But even when they can acquire land, state institutions cannot pay landowners more than the rate fixed by the deputy commission, while private housing societies have no hard and fast rules about setting a fixed price of land for landowners and can pay them better.

As with the FGEHF, the CDA is also having difficulty acquiring land, because of which it took 25 years for the CDA to open just one sector, D-12.

Published in Dawn, August 5th, 2019