ISLAMABAD, July 12: The Ministry of Housing and Works has increased rental ceiling for hiring private accommodation by federal government employees in Islamabad and other main cities of the country.

“The increase has been made keeping in view the phenomenal rise in rents of private houses and prices of other essential commodities of daily life”, an official in the housing ministry requesting not to be named, told Dawn on Saturday.

But the increase, which will come into force from July, disproportionate to the rise in prevailing rates of house rents in the twin cities of Rawalpindi-Islamabad as well as other provincial headquarters — Karachi, Lahore, Quetta and Peshawar.

The government employees termed this increase a mere eyewash saying even a double of what they were receiving now is not enough to hire private accommodation especially in the federal capital.

The increase in rental ceiling provided to employees working in grades 1 to 10 is not enough even for hiring a single room in Islamabad.

According to the revised rates, the rental ceiling for government employees falling in the bracket of basic pay scale (BPS) 1-2 has been increased to Rs1,925 per month from Rs1,750 for hiring a private accommodation in the federal capital.

The federal government employees falling in the same bracket in other cities will get only Rs165 increase to Rs1,805 per month.

Similarly, for employees falling in bracket of grades 3-6, the rental ceiling has been increased to Rs3,010 per month from Rs2,735 for hiring a house in the federal capital.

The increase in rental ceiling for employees hiring private accommodation in other cities in Rs2,645 per month from Rs2,405 for other cities. Ceiling for employees in BPS 7-10 has been increased to Rs4,500 from Rs4,090 per month for hiring a private accommodation in Islamabad and that for other cities to Rs4,025 from Rs3,660.

An increase of Rs6,785 per month from Rs6,170 in rent ceiling has been made for employees in grades 11-13 living in Islamabad and an increase of Rs5,885 from Rs5,350 per month for employees living in other cities.

According to a survey, a single room costs Rs5,000 per month. A two-room house is not available less than Rs10,000 per month.

According to the revised rental ceiling, a grade 22 official is entitled to only Rs27,005 per month which is much lower than their standard and requirements. A house of the standard of a secretary or an equivalent grade officer is not less than Rs80,000 per month in the federal capital.