A NEWLY constructed one window cell of Lahore Development Authority (LDA) will start working from Tuesday (7th September 2010).
Officials said LDA has spent Rs 20 million on the construction of the state of the art one window cell where modern facilities will be provided to complainants in a very systematic manner. The computerised one window cell has a seating capacity for 100 people and they did not need to go from the proverbial pillar to post to get their issues solved.
Officials said representatives of every directorate of LDA of the rank of assistant directors would be present in the one window cell to deal with the complaints and issues relating to their directorate. Officials added that the timeframe for all kind of inquiries, information and complaints has been fixed and delay in any case would result in action against the head and officials of the directorate concerned.
LDA has also established an information centre for the facility of the people and now they can get any kind of inquiry about LDA and its schemes by simply dialling 111111532. LDA has also introduced stamp paper with hidden security features to eliminate factitious and fraudulent deals regarding the property situated in LDA’s controlled areas. DG LDA said that he will daily visit the one window cell to deal with the general public.

KARACHI: Leading economists have criticised President Asif Ali Zardari’s proposal of levying flood tax on property, saying that the government would lose credibility if it resorted to such measures.
“Foreign missions are donating to private social work organisations for helping flood victims instead of giving aid directly to the government,” said former advisor to the Prime Minister on Finance Dr Salman Shah.
This has forced the government to generate funds from local resources and proposal of imposing flood tax on property may be a part of it, he added.
In a meeting with Sindh’s government on Sunday, President Asif Ali Zardari proposed flood tax on both residential and agriculture land, directing the provincial government to generate one billion dollars through the levy.
Dr Shah said the government has set-up no agenda to spend the money on flood victims and rehabilitation work. “People would resist the initiative when the government has no plan for it,” he added.
He suggested the government should announce specific sectors where tax collection should be used. The proposed property tax would be for one-time only: Rs200,000 on a piece of residential land of 2,000 square yards, Rs100,000 on 1,000 square yards and Rs50,000 on 500 square yards.
Another economist said the measure would be an added burden on taxpayers who are already facing a deteriorating economy that has shrunk their earnings and enhanced inflationary pressure. “The government should not impose any tax that is passed on to consumers,” said Dr Ikramul Haq, a leading tax consultant.
He suggested that the government should consider levying a transitional tax. A small amount should be charged on transactions of property, motor vehicle purchase, etc. Asad Saeed, an economist, commented that there was nothing wrong in implementing property tax meant to help flood victims. “Collection should be
made equitable and all land-owners brought under the proposed tax net,” he said. He said the proposed tax would not have a negative effect on taxpayers. “Taxpayers only suffer from the production tax.”
The government is considering various measures to generate funds to help flood victims and rehabilitate economic life in affected areas. The government is also considering levying a flood surcharge on income tax at the rate of 10 percent for a period of one year.

Sibghatullah Virk
Federal Government Employee Housing Foundation collected billions of rupees from government employees in the name of a housing scheme in Bahara Kahoo and the collected capital remained in the Foundation’s account but applicants find no way to get reward of their heavy payments made to the FGEHF a year before.

Federal Government Employee Housing Scheme finds no place even after one year of its inception and project gets no exposure to the public while poor applicants very rightly question the scope of their payments made to the Foundation.

The housing scheme in the vicinity of the federal capital near Barra Kehoo was started in August 2009 for federal government’s employees and had been charged Rs 50,000 each. Billions of rupees were collected but remained with the Foundation while the matter has been lying pending with different institutions simultaneously.

National Assembly’s Standing Committee for Housing and Works claims that the land had been acquired at desired rates whereas the federal minister claims that the procedure had been transparent and the land had been acquired at market rates.

The story does not finish here as it moves ahead with a new twist since Capital Development Authority did not issue no-objection certificate to the Foundation to move forward. The process had been started in hurry without fulfilling basic formalities but applicants had been called and money received from them as a result of which the poor employees seem to be very disappointed. The project is one of the delayed projects while a few were launched 18 years ago. For example, Phase-II Islamabad (Sectors D-12, E-12, I-8 and G-11) was launched in 1992, Phase-III Islamabad (Sector G-13 & Sub Sector G-14/4) in 1996, Phase-IV Islamabad (Sub-Sectors G-14/1,2,3 & G-15/3,4) on 16th December 2003 and Phase-V Islamabad (Housing Scheme for Low Paid FG Employees in Sub-sectors G-11/3, 4) was launched in April 2005.

Similar is the case with the projects in other cities as FGE Housing Scheme at Regi Lalma Peshawer was launched in 1995 and Phase-I Karachi in 1992 whereas Phase-II Karachi was launched in 1999. “Who will be responsible for this delay as our money is losing worth with every hour passing and we don’t know about the future of our payments since there is no ray of hope in the near future,” said one of the applicants. If foundation gets NOC from CDA and allotment starts who would be able to pay heavy development charges which have been increasing day by day and how a government worker, who gets 2 or 3 millions as his life asset in the form of pension at the time of his or her retirement will manage to pay more than his complete assets, he added.

It is worth mentioning that the project finds no space on the Foundation’s web portal and nothing is disseminated by the officials for the applicants regarding the project. This makes the condition more troublesome as poor government employees find no news about his precious amount lying with the Foundation’s account. A source told this correspondent that the sites will be allotted on first-come-first-served basis which again will curtail merit since a junior guy can get his place and a senior old employee could lose the very chance of finding a small piece to live on in the feeble part of his life.

Margallah Hills National Park needs information center

ISLAMABAD: The residents of Islamabad are lucky to have the Margallah Hills National Park at a stone’s throw from the city. Comprising the Margallah hills, Shakarparian and the Rawal Lake, the area was designated as a National Park in 1980 keeping in view the splendor of the lush green hills and the unique Sino-Himalayan flora and fauna found here. Unlike a wildlife sanctuary, where closing all public access protects precious plants and animals, a National Park welcomes visitors allowing them to learn, enjoy and experience the beauty of an area.

While visitors are welcome to the National Park, it is vital that they understand the basic principles of conservation and adopt their movement and activities to minimise their impact on the park’s biodiversity. A visitor information center is thus an important part of any national park. Unfortunately, until recently, the Margallah Hills National Park lacked such a center even though several hundred visitors come to the Margallahs every day. Other than a few ‘don’t feed the monkeys’ signboards, there is hardly any guidance available on how to protect the wildlife of the national park. Most people do know that hunting is not permitted within national park boundaries. But very few visitors understand proper hiking, trekking and camping procedures, how to avoid forest fires, how to prevent the spread of invasive plant species, how to dispose of waste material etc. An information center that guides visitors about the park’s management procedures, conservation principles and relevant rules and regulations, is a vital part of any national park!

In view of this, The Himalayan Wildlife Foundation (HWF) set up a Visitor Information Centre in the Darra Jangla valley early last year. Covering an area of approximately 700 square feet, the information centre, is strategically located at the entrance of one of the popular trails of the Margallahs – Trail 5. Funding for the project has been provided by the oil company BHP Billiton while the operation and management of the company is the joint responsibility of CDA and HWF. Visitors that intend to go into the park for nature walks and camping are received here and briefed about the natural resources of the park, facilities available, as well as the guidelines, rules and ethics for activities while in the National Park area. The aim is to maximize the recreational and educational benefit of the national park while ensuring that visitor activities are not a threat to its ecological integrity.

In a span of less than one year, presentations have been made to several hundred students from both government and private schools. In addition, training events have been organized for the students and teachers of the Pakistan Girl Guide Association as well as staff members of various environmental organizations and NGOs. Subjects covered in these trainings include the ecosystems of Pakistan, national park management, biodiversity conservation as well as identification of native and invasive alien plant species. Perhaps the most important training organized by the Center has been for the so called ‘custodians’ of the Margallah Hills National Park – the CDA staff. Seminars, workshops and short courses on a wide range of topics have been arranged for the forest guards, fire-fighting staff and national park staff members of the CDA.

“Unfortunately, even CDA staff members do not know the difference between a city park and a national park’, says Shadmeena Khan, Park Manager of the Darra Janglan Valley Conservation Project. “Sometimes, we get suggestions from senior CDA official on planting exotic flower yielding bushes. They need to understand that planting new species will upset the delicate balance of nature and destroy the local ecosystem. The essence of a national park is to preserve the naturalness of the area. Management of the park is necessary but in a way that it maintains the ecological integrity of the park and does not interfere with the existing flora-fauna interactions” explains Shadmeena. “Making flower beds and preening shrubs might be essential to a city park but are definitely not permissible in an area designated as a national park.”

According to Vaqar Zakaria, Director of the HFW, “the proximity of the Margallah Hills National Park to a major urban center as well as the presence of rural settlements around it makes it vulnerable to exploitation and degradation. The idea of a national park is not to exclude visitors for environmental conservation, but to realize that they are an integral part of it. The purpose of the Information Center is to guide these visitors about necessary steps that need to be taken to ensure protection of the Margallah Hills ecology.”

The establishment of the Visitor Information Centre is a commendable step taken by the HWF and BHP Billiton. The government should encourage such ventures and support the development of such facilities in all national parks of the country. This will ensure greater learning opportunities and maximize the learning and recreational experience of similar protected areas. fareeha irfan ovais

KARACHI: The Sindh government has decided to utilise Rs 250 million received from the federal government out of the Zakat fund for the construction of low-cost houses in the flood-affected areas of the province.

The decision was taken at a meeting of Sindh Zakat and Ushr Department (SZUD) chaired by Sindh Chief Minister (CM) Qaim Ali Shah at the Chief Minister’s House on Friday.

The federal government has provided Rs 250 million to the Sindh SZUD for relief measures.

It was proposed in the meeting to build 1,000 to 2,000 houses in the eight most-affected districts.

It was envisaged that the process was long term for which a comprehensive strategy would be evolved, and the required funds would be spent in a judicious and transparent manner.

It was decided that besides government officers, elected representatives, retired senior judges and members of opposition parties would also be included in the committees to be formed in this regard.

The meeting was attended by Sindh Zakat Minister Muhammad Sajid Jokhio, Sindh Zakat Council Chairman Justice Zahid Qurban Alvi, Zakat department secretary Ahsan Iqbal Zaidi and others.

By Hanif Khalid
The MNAs and Senators hailing from Fata obtained 14 palatial bungalows from a famous builder of the country by exerting political pressure, it is learnt reliably.
These Fata MPs obtained the bungalows in Bahria Town Phase 111 known as Meadows. Each bungalow has a market value of Rs30 million, which is spread over an area of 1-1/2 kanal to 2 kanal. While three Fata parliamentarians have shifted to these spacious houses. When Bahria Town administration asked the Fate MPs to deposit at least cost value of these houses, they began to blackmail them. The Fata MPs who obtained the ownership rights of these Bungalows in the current week included Fata Parliamentary leader Mr Orakzai and Federal Minister for Environment Hameed ullah Afridi.
Bahria Town administration is quite at a loss, as they could not afford to give the property worth millions free of cost just because of the political clout of these MPs. The Fata MPs who obtained the bungalows include Munir Ahmed Orakzai, Sajid Hussain Toor, Jawwad Hussain, Hafiz Rasheed Ahmed, Zafar Baig Bhittai, Muhammad Kamran Khan, Shaukat ullah, Noor-ul-Haq, Abdul Razzaq, Mr Bilal, Engineer Rashid, Abdul Malik and M Naseer. Most of these MPs have got allotment letters of these houses.

Estate Office misusing police to get houses vacated

By Ikram Junaidi

ISLAMABAD: Due to alleged incompetence of Ministry of Housing and Works, the Estate Office has started vacating houses by misusing federal police, already known for doing things against the law.

According to sources, Muhammad Latif, Account Officer in Ministry of Education, was allotted of House No 333E, Street 77, Sector G-6/4 as his official residence. He served the government for 35 years and when he retired after completing his service, after a long struggle he succeeded in getting allotted this house to his son Azhar Latif under rules 29A and AAR-2002. Azhar Latif is a patrolling officer in Motorway Police, an ancillary department of Ministry of Communications. His parents and six sisters depend on his job and hose allotted to him for residence.

Income Tax Department Additional Commissioner Nadir Mumtaz allegedly used his influence and got allotted the said house in his name though Income Tax office employees are not entitled to allotment of a house from the Estate Office, said the sources. Mumtaz once served as Deputy Secretary in Ministry of Petroleum on deputation and he used this cover for the allotment although he was neither working with Ministry of Petroleum nor he was eligible when the house was allotted to him, the sources added.

According to sources, such allotment was illegal under the Housing and Works section PAR 2002-3 and there is a precedent that allotment of House No 354E, Street 77 Sector G-6/4, which was allotted to Assistant Commissioner Anwar Zaib, was canceled under that section.

They said Mumtaz was an influential person. On June 8, 2010 he used more than 100 employees of federal police and the district administration officials to get the said house vacated by force and threw Azhar Latif’s aged parents and his family along with furniture out of the house, the sources said.

Daily Times has learnt that Mumtaz was a close friend of a top ranking police officer of Islamabad police who used his powers to get the house vacated, though it was not police responsibility.

According to sources, officers and employees of Income Tax office, OGDCL and corporations etc were not entitled to allotment of houses from the Estate Office.

They said sometimes officials of Estate Office take advantage of incompetence of Ministry of Housing and allot the houses to irrelevant persons. Whenever they want to vacate the houses they misuse federal police for the purpose, they said, adding, due to this practice at the moment police officials are illegally residing in about 200 houses of Estate Office.

The Land Estate Management Directorate of Rawalpindi Development Authority is working on a plan, which includes curtailing the period of property transfer cases from three weeks to 7-day period.

Highly placed official sources told ‘The News’ here Wednesday that the plan to reduce the period of transfer cases would be enforced in the best interest of the people who want to transfer their property within shortest possible time. This method would benefit both the dealing parties, the sources told.

The decision into this effect is likely to be enforced in the mid of August 2010, which would also help the directorate of Land Estate Management to earn revenue for RDA.

Similarly, the sources further informed that against the recovery target of Rs6.5 million set up for the last fiscal year 2009-2010, the directorate headed by Director Shuja Ali generated surplus amount through this process, which is estimated Rs20 million. Moreover, the RDA appreciating the work of the concerned directorate has enhanced the recovery target up to Rs30 million in the year 2010-2011 through property fees.

Through another official source, ‘The News’ learnt that on the directives of the Punjab chief minister, the directorate of Land Estate Management Directorate (LEMD) has decided not to evacuate its land from those residents who had occupied it through different ways and means and built up their homes since long i.e. before the creation of RDA. A large number of RDA lands fall under Saidpur Road. However, the concerned directorate has decided not to spare commercial owners, who had illegally occupied the RDA land and established their business there. The LEMD had recently launched a grand operation in a commercial place at Saidpur Road and got vacated 4-kanal land belonging to RDA. The special judicial magistrate is dealing with this case, the sources informed. At the same time, the sources regretted that over 53-kanal land of RDA is occupied by different local government departments like TMA in the National Market and other parts of the city.

The matter was discussed with the Punjab government for taking possession of the RDA lands, but due to certain compulsions, no positive outcome has been achieved. “We have not been given a nod from the Punjab government for taking possession of the occupied lands by the local government departments,” the sources added.

ISLAMABAD: After having paid more than Rs13 billion in 1995, about 5,000 people are still waiting for the allotment of their plots. The project, Islamabad New City, was initiated by three foreign companies in collaboration with the Capital Development Authority (CDA) and the National Housing Authority (NHA). Spread over 2,000 kanals of land, the project would have been a mega-housing project in Zone-V of the capital.

Various local companies, including Asif Enterprises, were tasked with collecting money from the people for the project.

The three foreign companies, including MG Realters Pvt Ltd, MG Heartz Pvt Ltd and Asia Challenge Investment Pvt Ltd, packed up and left the country with billions of rupees after the democratically elected government was overthrown in 1999.

Since then CDA, NHA, Federal Investigation Agency (FIA), Asif Enterprises and other representatives of the people have convened several times to try and find a solution to the problem, but in vain. The last meeting was held on February 18, 2009, said Ahmad Arsalan, an advocate.

Securities and Exchange Commission of Pakistan (SECP) revoked the membership of the three foreign companies in 2006. In the same year, a group of affectees, SECP, Asif Enterprises and other stakeholders registered a case with the Lahore High Court (LHC) against the defaulters. The progress of the case was slow and marred by several delays.

A group of affectees have also alleged that “influential authorities” were behind the fraud and impeding the progress of the case. The LHC has not scheduled a hearing over the past year. The judge hearing the case back then, Hamid Ali Shah, was relieved of his charge when emergency order promulgated by former president Pervez Musharraf was declared null and void on July 31 last year.

Many of the parties involved seem to be unsure of how to proceed with the case. CDA’s spokesperson Ramzan Sajjid said the project was “a typical fraud”. He added: “It is a hard nut to crack. I hope that the courts will give justice to affectees as well as the city managers.”

Javed Akbar, a senior official at NHA and spokesperson, said, “It is the most complicated case. As far as I remember, NHA still has to give the relevant records of the project to the court.”

Former National Accountability Bureau (NAB) spokesperson Ghazni Khan (now transferred to Ministry of Information) said NAB was only helping CDA and NHA with the case. He added: “All stakeholders decided in the [last] meeting that Asif Enterprises will develop this project with CDA, which will provide all the technical input in the development of the proposed project.”

Meanwhile affectees wait for some positive development. Arshad Saleem, a clerk in National Assembly, paid Rs0.2 million to Asia Challenge Investment Pvt Ltd for a plot. “I am still looking for justice,” he told The Express Tribune.

Amir Ahmed, another affectee who had to take a loan to book a plot in Islamabad New City, blamed the governments of Pakistan Peoples Party and Pakistan Muslim League for the issue.