Peshawar          -         Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Minister for Housing Dr Amjad Ali on Thursday said the federal government had introduced the bank home finance facility for construction of houses, to provide shelter to the low income strata.

Addressing a press briefing along with Special Assistant to KP Chief Minister on Information and Local Government Kamran Bangash on two years performance of housing department, he said the provincial government in collaboration with Pakistan Housing Foundation would construct 20,000 grey structure houses under Naya Pakistan Housing scheme in Sarozai area of Peshawar for which balloting process had already been completed. He said the total cost of the project was Rs.97 billion.  

The minister was also flanked by Secretary Housing Daud Khan and Director General Provincial Housing Authority Imran Wazir in the press briefing.  

Dr Amjad Ali said the provincial government had a special focus on the housing sector. Construction of houses would promote various allied industries and generate employment opportunities in the province, he said. The purpose of the housing department, he added, was not to earn profit from people, rather to provide them housing facilities on no profit no loss basis. 

Dr Amjad Ali said the housing department had provided two percent quota to journalists in Sarozai Housing Scheme, while quota would also be provided to them in Jalozai Housing Scheme. He said around 85 percent of the construction work had been completed in the Jalozai Housing Scheme and possession letters would be awarded to the allottees in December this year. He said the housing department was going to further extend Jalozai Housing Scheme by around 5000 kanal. 

He said the provincial government had sent letters to various district administrations to identify land for Naya Pakistan Housing Scheme. He said all housing schemes of the provincial government were on barren land and no scheme would be allowed on agricultural land. 

The KP housing minister said that housing department in collaboration with Federal Employees Housing Authority would also build a 20 plus stories high rise apartments in Nishtarabad area of Peshawar which would be completed at a cost of Rs.15 billion. He said 90 percent work on Hayatabad High Rise Building for government employees had been accomplished, while balloting process had already been completed. He said the Civil Quarter Kohat Road flats scheme for government employees would be completed in 2022. 

Speaking on the occasion Special Assistant to the KP Chief Minister for Information and Local Government Kamran Bangash said the local government department had written to the Federal Investigative Agency to take actions against illegal housing schemes in the province.  

He said the government would make no compromise on illegal housing schemes. He said Prime Minister Imran Khan had given a comprehensive strategy on the housing sector in the country. He said the previous government had only raised slogans of houses, while the incumbent government was taking concrete steps for it.