PHA shortlists five firms

ISLAMABAD - Pakistan Housing Authority (PHA) has short listed five companies out of fifteen for the designing of the Kuri Road Housing Scheme. Sources in the Ministry told this newspaper that NesPak, Consultant Group (CG) including other three have been short-listed. However, the process of final selection of firm will be completed within three weeks time. 952 housing units of category A, B and C will be constructed in Kuri Road Housing Scheme for the government employees of BS-17 to 22 who will retire between Jan 1, 2008 to Dec 31, 2013 in first phase. The cost of the housing units of the said categories will be from Rs.3 million to Rs.10 million, the sources added. Earlier, Federal Minster for Housing and works Makhdoom Syed Faisal Saleh Hayat has directed Pakistan Housing Authority (PHA) to ensure the provision of all modern facilities in Kuri Road Housing Scheme The ministry spokesman said that on the direction of minister, Pakistan Housing Authority invited proposals for construction of housing colony at Kuri Road. In response thereof, more than fifteen companies/firms submitted their proposals. Out of these proposals, the scrutiny committee short-listed five companies for designing of the residential colony. The short listed companies were then invited to give presentations of their intended designed with allied details. All the five firms presented their designs in a meeting held here in Ministry of Housing and Works. The federal minister chaired the meeting, while Secretary for Housing and Works, Kamran Lashari, Joint Secretary, MB Awan, MD and a number of officials of the ministry and Pakistan Housing Authority attended the meeting. The federal minister shared his observations with the participants during the presentations. He said that the houses must be equipped with all modern facilities. He further asserted that the firm would be selected only on the basis of competition. At the end of the meeting, the minister constituted a high level committee to recommend the selection of the best of these five firms keeping in view their performance and rates. The spokesman said that that the minister was committed to keeping the prices of the proposed houses at competitive level with respect to existing markets scenario.