ISLAMABAD: A 17-member task force has been constituted to look into the affairs regarding Naya Pakistan Housing Programme (NPHP), a news source reported. Housing and Works Secretary Dr Imran Zeb briefed Prime Minister Imran Khan was on various prospects of the project.
The secretary said that as many as 40 bidders and construction companies had approached the government for providing land and constructing affordable residential units and that the response had been encouraging so far.
The prime minister was also briefed on functions of the ministry and its affiliated departments such as Pakistan Public Works Department (Pak-PWD), Estate Office, National Housing Authority, Pakistan Housing Authority Foundation, Federal Government Employees Housing Foundation and National Construction Limited.
Dr Zeb said that efforts were underway to ensure complete transparency in the process of allotment of official accommodation to government employees. He added that the shortfall of housing units across the country had reached 26,724.
The prime minister, on his part, said NPHP would help address the issue of shortage of official accommodation for government employees. He also directed officials concerned to chalk out a comprehensive plan for effective utilisation of human resources.
Meanwhile, the housing task force has finalised plans to construct three and five-marla affordable residential units in three cities of Punjab. Under the scheme, the provincial government would build 800 units of three and five marlas in Lodhran, fourteen hundred houses of three marlas in Chishtian, and one thousand homes of three and five marlas in Okara.
The construction of affordable houses under NPHP will start in January 2019. The houses will be offered on a 20-year payment plan where the monthly instalments will be as high as PKR 18,564. The applicants will be required to pay 20% of the total amount as a down payment. Those who own a piece of land will be able to get a bank loan of PKR 600,000. In this regard, the Task Force is also holding sessions with banks to have them reserve 5% of their respective loans for NPHP. In return, tax burden on banks will be reduced.
