Islamabad: Prime Minister Imran Khan on Friday morning paid a surprise visit to the site of the Naya Pakistan Housing Project G-13 Islamabad and showed his displeasure on the pace of ongoing construction work on the site. The PM reached the site of Kashmir Avenue Apartments without any protocol. The construction of the apartment is being carried out by the Federal Government Employees Housing Authority (FGEHA) under the Naya Pakistan Housing Project. The director of the project was called and the PM directed the concerned authorities to speed up construction activities on the site. The PM inaugurated the project in April 2019. The project contains three high-rise buildings with a basement, ground floor plus 21 stories. There is a total of 1467 apartments for the low-income group. The basement is reserved for parking and the ground floor for amenities whereas out of the total 1467 flats, 714 will have 1300 square foot area and 743 will have 1100 square feet area.
The sources said the project manager was urgently called up to brief the PM regarding the development of the project. “Though, the Prime Minister expressed his displeasure over the absence of labor and management at the site but he did not order any disciplinary action against them”. It is also reported that the contractors had reached the FGEHA for compensation owing to the sudden rise in the prices of inputs especially cement and steel but the FGEHA authorities have declined to do so. As a result, the contractors slowed down the pace of work on the site.
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Earlier the PM was informed that the Roshan Digital account has crossed USD 3 billion remittances. The PM said, “Overseas Pakistanis are our precious asset and we are taking historic steps to ensure their convenience." He added that the government is providing the overseas Pakistanis with facilities like RDA, the right to vote, online power of attorney, and succession certificates. While having a meeting with CM GB the PM said that the government is doing its utmost to the promotion of tourism in GB. He said, “The government is taking steps to promote winter sports in Gilgit-Baltistan. Local tourism has flourished in the last three years due to government initiatives. The government is taking steps to provide international standard facilities to tourists in Gilgit-Baltistan.”
It is pertinent to mention here that all four projects are facing delays in execution. These projects include Kashmir Avenue Apartments, Lifestyle Residency, Chaklala Heights, and skyline projects. The sources of the FGEHA, however, said that the main reason behind the delay is cost escalation for which the contractors are demanding extra charges due to a significant increase in the prices of material. The official hope is that soon the issue of cost escalation would be resolved.
