ISLAMABAD: The cabinet on Tuesday approved the formation of a new authority tasked with the recovery of prime federal government properties located all over the country and eventually their disposal to generate funds.

“The authority — to be called Federal Government Properties Management Authority (FGPMA) — will be authorised to deal with the properties of the federal government, all federal ministries and allied departments located all over the country for their better utilisation,” Information Minister Fawad Chaudhry said in a press conference after the cabinet meeting.

Calling the formation of FGPMA a major decision by the cabinet, he said, “The authority will be authorised to dispose federal government properties worth trillions of rupees which are presently under encroachment or not in any use,” the minister added. Talking to Dawn, he said the worth of Pakistan Railways’ properties was said to be in trillions.

The cabinet has approved promulgation of two separate ordinances that will address complex litigation and delays in court decisions on encroached lands of the state and to retrieve these from illegal occupants and land grabbers.

Mr Chaudhry said that in case of any encroachment, the government will appoint an officer to deal with the issue. “The officer will first serve a notice to the illegal occupant of state land. Even then if the land is not vacated, the government will move the relevant court and encroacher will have to pay rent of the property for the time till he had encroached the land,” he added.

All ministries and organisations of the federal government will volunteer their abandoned properties to the new authority and their better utilisation, the minister said.

Talking about a related decision, Mr Chaudhry said the cabinet also directed Capital Development Authority (CDA) Chairman Amir Ali Ahmed to give a detailed briefing on green areas and encroachment in the capital as Prime Minister Imran Khan was determined that there should not be any construction on green areas.

Published in Dawn, July 7th, 2021