ISLAMABAD, Jan 19: Being funded under Public Sector Development Programme (PSDP), construction of second phase of Parliament Lodges (PL) to provide accommodation facility to legislators was launched on Wednesday. The project will cost Rs3 billion.

Though the PSDP has been slashed in view of unprecedented financial crisis, the federal government has spared the amount from the programme for building luxury suites for the legislators.

The federal cabinet, in its meeting held three months ago, had decided that no new project would be initiated under the PSDP as the country faced worst flooding that caused billions of rupees loss in terms of infrastructure, crops and private property.

Ironically, Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani, who heads the federal cabinet, laid foundation stone of two new blocks of the lodges at its compound on Wednesday ignoring the fact that the project will benefit only the lawmakers or a privileged class and will be funded under the PSDP.

The PC-I of the project spanning over four acres of land was approved by Executive Committee of National Economic Council on January 21, 2010. The project will be completed at an estimated cost of Rs2.9 billion in three years.

The Senate Chairman Farooq H. Naek, Leader of the House in Senate Syed Nayyar Hussain Bukhari, Minister for Water and Power Raja Pervaiz Ashraf, Secretary Cabinet Division Nargis Sethi and a large number of parliamentarians were present on the occasion.“The project has been awarded to Habib Rafique at 35 per cent more than the estimated cost,” said a senior official of the CDA.

At present the Parliament Lodges has nine blocks, seven under the use of parliamentarians and two meant for the administration. The existing seven residential blocks have 358 family suites against total 442 Senators and MNAs.

The legislators who do not have suites in lodges have been provided rented house in posh residential areas, ministers' enclave or they are given house rents on monthly basis.

The CDA Chairman Imtiaz Inayat Elahi in his address of welcome said 104 additional family suites would be constructed in Phase-II besides 500 servant quarters on 1.4 acres of land as the existing lodges lack this facility.

Latest facilities like vast car parking area in basement, fire safety measures, garbage chutes, lifts, gymnasium for ladies and gents, shops and departmental stores, public meeting rooms, lounges and cafeteria would be provided at the lodges.

Imtiaz claimed that the civic body was taking practical steps to provide housing facilities for general public for which it had finalised a comprehensive strategy for opening of C-13, C-16, C-15, D-13, F-14 and H-16 sectors.

“The plan will ensure availability of 30,000 residential plots of different size,” he said adding that the CDA has also launched a mega project of Kuri Model Village to build 4,500 low cost houses.