Daily Times

PESHAWAR: Work on nine gigantic housing projects including Jalozai on 10,000 kanal lands is in different stages of completion in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa while new housing projects were proposed for merged areas in budget 2021-22 for shelter-less, widows and poor people.

Dr. Amjad Ali the Provincial Minister  for Housing said, “Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Government has written letters to the Deputy Commissioners of all seven tribal districts of the merged areas for identification of state lands for construction of low-cost housing units for poor tribesmen under Naya Pakistan Housing Programme and has proposed special schemes in upcoming budget 2021-22 in this regard,”

He said KP Government was also working on land sharing formula on the pattern of DHA and Bahria Town under which a plot as big as one kanal would be allotted to a tribesman, who provides four kanal non-productive land for a Government housing society besides an option of selling of lands with tribesmen as per Revenue Department and District administration’s rate would remain open. Initially, new housing projects would be established at Waziristan, Khyber, Parachinar Kurram and Bajaur.

The Minister said about 5,000 kanal land in DI Khan, 2,000 kanal to 2,600 kanal for extension of Hangu Township and land for Jalozai Housing Scheme was obtained under land sharing formula under which the owners would be provided developed plots in the Govt housing projects.

He said 95pc work on Jalozai Housing Project being constructed on 10,000 kanal in Nowshera district has been completed and application for allotment of residential plots in its phase-III under lucky draw were obtained from people following successful completion of its phase-II and III by Provincial Housing Authority, an operational arm of Housing Department KP.

Construction work on about 2,400 low cost residential flats at Jalozai Housing Project has been started under Naya Pakistan Housing Program following its commencement by Prime Minister Imran Khan.

These flats would be provided to poor, laborers and shelter less with a cost of Rs 2.5 million in which Rs 3 lac subsidy would be provided by the Government and remaining would be paid by the beneficiaries through an easy installment in 10 to 20 years.

Under Naya Pakistan Housing Program, he said a mega housing project for the poor on 10,000 kanal land at Surizai Peshawar would be developed.

KP Govt has signed MoU with National Bank of Pakistan for provision of home finance facility on five percent bank service charges to people and bids from other 12 banks invited for extending such facilities to poor.

Hangu Township is another flagship project of the PTI Government that would be constructed on 10,000 kanal land on which development work would start next month, he said, adding plots’ allotment letters to beneficiaries have been issued. He said Mulazai Housing Program in Peshawar and Jarma Housing Project in Kohat have almost been completed and possession letters to beneficiaries for construction of houses issued besides accelerating work on Havailan Housing Project in Abbottabad.

Two percent quota was allocated for journalists in Jalozai Housing Scheme and 10 percent in Hangu Township besides 40 kanal land in Dungram Swat Project for construction of houses for journalists of the Malakand Division.

Similarly, 10 percent quota was allocated for overseas Pakistanis besides two percent quota for persons with disabilities and special quota for widows.

The Minister said a mechanism was being prepared for legalization of about 200 illegal housing societies operating in KP keeping in view of people’s heavy investment in it. However, he warned that no gas, electricity and water connections would be provided to these illegal societies till it was registered and obtained NOC from the Government. Under Local Government Act, he said no housing society would be allowed to operate which have less than 160 kanal land.