Lahore: Punjab Chief Minister Usman Buzdar on Monday approved funds worth PKR 500 million for the Punjab Housing and Town Planning Agency (PHATA) to expedite the execution of the Naya Pakistan Housing Programme (NPHP), according to news sources. He sanctioned the amount during a meeting held to review the project’s developmental progress.
The attendees were briefed on the ongoing activities related to the scheme. The CM directed the officials concerned to consider the financial limitations of common citizens when chalking out the housing policy for the project. He also directed for proper attention to be paid on the construction of the small houses in the province.
Further, the meeting approved the launch of a rural housing project in collaboration with Akhuwat (an Islamic microfinance organisation) in 17 model villages across Punjab. As per details, the project would entail the construction of small houses and parks on four acres of rural land.
Other subjects brought to the meeting’s attention included a proposal to gradually abolish the Punjab Land Development Company (PLDC), private housing scheme rules, fee for commercialization and transfer of state land.
The meeting was informed that foreign investors from China, Turkey, United Arab Emirates and Canada had expressed interest in the construction of the low-cost houses under the NPHP initiative.
Previously, the provincial executive had initiated the allotment process for the NPHP project through computerized balloting in Lodhran. Similarly, the initiative was launched in Multan with state land allocation at Madni Chowk. Provincial Minister for Housing Mian Mehmood-ur-Rasheed inspected another site for the NPHP project in Multan.
He said that triple-storey flats would be constructed for low-income segments. He revealed that these modern flats would be provided on easy instalments at PKR 3 million costs in Multan. At Madni Chowk alone, 384 flats will be constructed on over 23-Kanals of land.
Minister Rasheed said that a mosque, boundary walls, parks, and a modern healthcare centre would also be established under the project; the development work on which will be launched this year.
Allottees will be announced after the transparent balloting process is conducted. The minister also said that the construction of 200,000 will be initiated in seven metropolitan cities in one year. He added that the government has already formed a Public-Private Partnership Authority (PPPA) in this regard.
The by-laws of Lahore Development Authority and PHATA are under review to offer relief to the builders and developers and they will receive full cooperation from the provincial government to achieve construction of 2.5 million houses under the mutual partnership.
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