HARIPUR: Special assistant to the chief minister on housing Dr Amjad Ali on Thursday said the government would launch work on the first phase of the Haripur Housing Scheme in the next three to six months.

He was talking to members of a survey team here.

Local MPA Akbar Ayub Khan, former minister Yousuf Ayub Khan, DG of the housing authority, and officials of communication and works and local government departments were present on the occasion.

Dr Ali said in line with the directive of Chief Minister Ali Amin Khan Gandapur for constructing housing societies with all modern facilities, the provincial housing authority had launched a survey in Haripur and identified 3,100 kanals of land.

He said the proposed housing scheme would have 2,765 kanals of land for housing purposes, while the rest would be for recreational and commercial use.

`The housing scheme is going to be developed in phases and the first phase of the residential area would cover an area of 1,200 kanals,` he said.

The aide to the CM examined the spadework and directed the survey team from the housing authority to complete and submit for approval the feasibility study of the housing society in the shortest possible time as the provincial government has a plan to kickstart development work in three to six months.

Former provincial minister Yousuf Ayub Khan told reporters that the project was his brainchild and would prove a face-lifting initiative for Haripur.

He said the scheme, to be developed at a distance of 40km from Islamabad, the Haripur Housing Scheme would help provide a modern housing society to the residents of Haripur.

A document, titled the Haripur Master Plan: Strategic Scenario Development/Mapping Haripur 2042 and developed by the Urban Policy and Planning Unit Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, has already recommended a housing scheme in the southwest near Haripur Bypass and M15 Hazara Motorway to protect agricultural land and checkunplannedhousingprojects.-Correspondent