Afghans 'illegally occupy' flats built for workers
In a baffling disclosure that left the public funds spending watchdog incensed, officials confessed to spending billions of rupees on the repairs and maintenance of illegally occupied government apartments.
The Works and Services Department was spending huge funds for the upkeep of flats built for workers although 70 per cent of these units were forcibly occupied by Afghan immigrants and criminal elements. The illegal immigrants had not only usurped the rights of the poor workers but have been enjoying free maintenance from taxes paid by the locals. The Sindh government was helpless in evicting the rogue squatters.
The Public Accounts Committee (PAC) has taken notice of this issue and ordered an investigation into the matter.
On Monday, the PAC met under the chairmanship of Nisar Khuro in the Sindh Assembly committee room. The PAC reviewed the audit paras of the Works and Services Department from 2018 to 2021. The Director General Audit raised objections on spending on government flats in Landhi, saying that the Works Department had spent billions of rupees on repairs of these occupied flats.
PAC Chairman Khuro expressed outrage and questioned the department as to why the govt's properties worth billions of rupees had not been retrieved from unauthorised occupants.
Chief Engineer Works Building informed the PAC that the govt had purchased 321 flats for govt employees in Landhi through the Govt's Estate Agency and Pakistan Housing Authority. However, 30 per cent of the work on these flats, including the kitchen, had not been completed, and the amount was spent on completion and repairs. He added that 70 per cent of the govt flats were occupied by Afghans and criminals, while the remaining flats were allocated to government employees.
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