35pc applications for Aashiyana Housing rejected

OUR STAFF REPORTER LAHORE Punjab Chief Minister Muhammad Shahbaz Sharif has said the Aashiyana housing project is unique in the 63 years history of the country with regard to transparency and its standard, and credit for launching this modern housing scheme for the poor and the common man goes to Pakistan Muslim League-N. Work is speedily in progress on the first scheme in Lahore while similar housing schemes have also been initiated in Faisalabad, Sargodha, Sahiwal and Jhelum, while the network will be extended to the whole province under a phased programme, he mentioned, while presiding over a meeting to review Aashiyana Housing Project here on Thursday. MPAs Arifa Khalid, Khawaja Imran Nazeer, Ali Haider Noor Khan Niazi and officers concerned were present. The CM said the Punjab government had translated the dream of the poor of having their own house into reality. Malpractices and nepotism were promoted in government housing schemes in the past whereas this scheme is completely transparent, and there is no role of speculators and profiteers, he said, adding that peoples trust in the scheme could be well-judged from the facts that more than 22,000 applications were received for allotment of houses. All houses have been allotted through balloting and a comprehensive programme has also been evolved for the verification of the particulars of the allotees. Special committees comprising government officials, Akhuwat representatives and students have verified the particulars and 35 per cent applications have been rejected as the applicants were not eligible for acquiring houses, which is a proof of the transparency of the project, he maintained. Shahbaz Sharif further said the highest standard of construction work was being maintained at the lowest construction rates and third-party audit system had also been adopted for transparency.