ISLAMABAD: A parliamentary panel on Monday proposed that Islamabad`s chief commissioner play the role of mediator between the local community and representatives of the Housing Society of Supreme Court Bar Association (SCBA) and other stakeholders to resolve the land issue.

Senate Standing Committee on Housing and Works, which met here with Senator Haji Hidayatullah Khan in the chair, discussed the dispute.

The committee directed to hold meetings between the community and the chief commissioner and play the role of a mediator to make a way forward to address the matter through consensusand sought a report on the issue in its next meeting, said an official handout issued by Senate Secretariat after the said meeting.

Housing Authority DG Tariq Rashid informed the committee that rate of land has also been revised and increased in Tamma and Mohrian villages. The secretary argued that the land which was sold by the people five to ten years ago has become expensive today and negotiations were being made to settle the matter in consultation with the stakeholders.

The development work will start after reaching a consensus over the matter, he added.

The Senate panel was also informed that a Land Supervisor Committee headed by then-sitting Justice Maqbool Baqir was formed which, after holding meetings with the stakeholders, decided a r ate of 3,400,000 per kanal (Rs1,725,000 award amount and Rs1,675,000 against easement for possession) for Moza Mohrian, including 15pc necessary acquisition charges.

The committee was further told that Federal Government Employees HousingAuthority`s (FGEHA) Executive Board had also endorsed proposed rate of the said Land Supervisory Committee in its 22nd meeting dated 03-08-2022 which will be applicable to the entire `Moza Mohrian`.

It was also informed that as of now statement for almost 800 Kanal land have been recorded in PGEHA and payment thereof to the respective landowners has also been released.

Earlier, the committee also discussed the matter of PWD regarding the alleged embezzlement in the utilisation of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) programme fund in Mohmand, Bajaur, and Khyber tribal districts. The matter of irregularities was raised by Senator Hilalur Rehman.

The senator lamented that PWD officers were preparing drafts for projects in Mohmand without even making visits to the district and added there was not a single no-objection certificate (NOC) obtained for any scheme.

He further said that on March 28, 2018, a tender worth Rs480 million was opened by the PWD and a day later the workorder was issued. The senator quipped that the PWD installed an 850km-long pipeline over a single night in a project which does not even exist. He alleged that the officers concerned came to his house and tried to bribe him.

The senator further said that the PWD DG told him that XEN (Executive Engineer) was suspended on June 8 and restored to the same seat later. The committee recommended suspending the Chief Engineer and other officers involved and directed action against them.

The ministry presented that local people of Mohmand and Khyber filed a petition in Peshawar High Court seeking the revival of funds and execution of development schemes in their respective areas. The proceedings were underway and the outcome will be shared once received.

Earlier in the meeting, the secretary of housing and works and chief commissioner Islamabad briefed the committee regarding the allocation of funds from 2014-2018 for the development works in Islamabad.