Islamabad: The Senate Standing Committee on Housing and Works expressed concern over the prolonged delay and difficulties faced by affectees of Green Enclave-I housing scheme and unanimously resolved to protect their legitimate rights and demand completion of this project within 18 months.

The committee met under the chairmanship of Senator Nasir Mehmood on Tuesday. The chairman questioned the performance of Government Employees Housing Authority (FGEHA) joint venture (JV) partner and its ability to fulfil contractual obligations, particularly in view of the prolonged delay.

The committee subsequently received a detailed briefing on the Green Enclave I housing scheme. NAB informed the committee that an inquiry into the project had been quashed following clearance from the Supreme Court of Pakistan in 2018. However, despite the clearance, the project remained incomplete for several years, resulting in significant cost escalation and hardship for allottees.

The chairman questioned the performance of FGEHA's joint venture (JV) partner and its ability to fulfil contractual obligations, particularly in view of the prolonged delay. The committee observed that FGEHA had not invoked any penalty clause despite the delays by the JV partner.

The committee was briefed by the FGEHA on ongoing anti encroachment operations in F-12/G-12, G-14, G-15 and other FGEHA schemes. It was informed that more than 60 percent of encroachments had been cleared, while approximately 3,000 kanals of encroached land had been recovered in different sectors of Islamabad. The committee was further informed that the operations were being carried out in phases.

FGEHA informed the committee that negotiations with the JV partner had been concluded and approval from the FGEHA Board was awaited regarding cost escalation. The JV partner assured the committee that Green Enclave-I would be completed within the next 18 months.

The committee also examined the alleged annexation of Shamilaat and forest lands in the FGEHA's Sky Gardens housing scheme. The committee was informed that the JV partner had transferred the land to FGEHA free of cost; however, the Supreme Court had directed that no construction or development be carried out on Shamilaat land. NAB informed the committee that its inquiry into the alleged annexation of Shamilaat land in Mouza Mengal had been reopened after FGEHA issued an addendum including Mouza Mengal in the development works for the Sky Gardens housing scheme.

FGEHA maintained that the Assistant Collector and Additional Deputy Commissioner Revenue (ADCR) had decided the matter in its favour, upholding the authority's position that the disputed land was settled land and not Shamilaat. The Secretary Housing, however, informed the committee that development work on approximately 2,600 kanals had been halted immediately and assured that no development would take place on the disputed land until final determination of the matter.

The chairman directed NAB to conduct an impartial, transparent and merit-based inquiry into the matter and urged the Bureau to expedite the investigation.