‘Out of turn allocation of govt quarters according to law’
By Asim Hussain

ISLAMABAD—Minister for Housing and Work Syed Safwanullah Wednesday informed the National Assembly that out of turn allocation of accommodation to federal government employees was done under the law.
Speaking during the Question Hour, he said cases of hardship and those in need of urgent housing are provided out of turn accommodation under the rule 29 of the housing. He said so far orders have been issued for 2058 persons to provide government accommodation under the relevant rule out which 1430 persons have got the quarters.
The remaining cases will be accommodated as soon as the government quarters become available, he added.
Replying to a supplementary question, the minister said he agreed to the suggestion that such discretionary powers do put burden on his ministry. "That is why a number of powers which used to rest with the ministry have been curtailed," he said.
Speaker Chaudhry Amir Hussain observed that if the discretionary powers are used judiciously, then it helps provide shelter to deserving cases and there is no harm in allotting out of turn government quarters to such persons. Treasury member Chaudhry Ejaz Ahmed suggested that the allotment should be made purely on merit and the rule 29 should be done away with.
In reply to another question from Rana Mehmood ul Hassan, Safwanullah said there was a proposal under consideration to provide a house on retirement to the officers of the federally constituted occupational groups (BS 17 and above) with at least 25 years of experience.
He said on a summary initiated by the Establishment Division, the prime minister approved the scheme on the lines of Pakistan Army Welfare Directorate Scheme. On a supplementary question he said the government is planning to allot flats to federal government employees on proprietary rights in sector G-13 and G- 14. He said last year a similar scheme was launched in sector G-11.