ISLAMABAD - President Asif Ali Zardari Saturday advised the government to gift shelters (housing facilities) to the government employees of all grades and also to some extreme poor people on August 14 this year. I want the government should devise a policy for the provision of housing facilities to the government employees of all grades and also to general public living below poverty line, the President was quoted in an official release as saying. The President said after approval by the cabinet Prime Minister Syed Yousuf Raza Gilani should announce the policy on August 14 as a gift to the people on the Independence Day. Provision of Roti (Bread), Kapra (Cloths) and Makan (Shelter) is a long-standing demand of Pakistan Peoples Party since its inception in late 1960s that attracted majority of the deprived and poor class of the society to join PPP, he said. Acquiring or owning a house is almost a dream for the government employees, especially those with low-income living under poverty line. Presidents spokesman Farhatullah Babar said that the President had been concerned about the inadequacy of housing facilities for the government employees and also to the poor people and has been stressing the need to address the issue urgently. The President also advised that the House Building Finance Corporation to get involved in the formulation of policy to provide concessional long-term loans for house building. The President said that in view of the high cost of land flats might be built in high-rise buildings instead of allotting individual plots. The President asked Advisor Finance to hold a meeting to work out viable options for joint venture on public-private partnership basis for building flats to be given to people on ownership basis. The President said that the rules for allotment might be framed in such a way that allotments were made transparently and no one was allowed to deviate from the laid down procedure.