A significant case of illegal occupation of government residences has come to light in Lahore, where multiple officials and employees of the Government Engineering Academy and the Executive Engineer Chak Bandi Division have been found illegally residing in official housing. This is a blatant violation of the Punjab Government Servants (Housing) Allotment Policy 1997, amended on May 2, 2018.
According to an official audit report, these unauthorized occupants owe a staggering Rs. 72,30,558 (7.230 million) in penal rent, which remains uncollected due to departmental inaction.
Violation of Housing Allotment Policy
As per Paragraph 36(E) of the 1997 Allotment Policy, any government employee illegally residing in an official accommodation is liable to pay a penal rent equal to 60% of their basic salary. However, despite clear evidence of unauthorized occupation, the concerned department has failed to recover these dues or take action against the illegal occupants.
Audit Report Findings and SDAC Meeting Proceedings
The irregularities were highlighted in March 2023 through an audit of the Government Engineering Academy Lahore and the Executive Engineer Chak Bandi Division Lahore. The matter was later discussed in a meeting of the Departmental Accounts Committee (SDAC) on August 18, 2023, where multiple audit paras (DPs) were reviewed:
DP 35 and DP 53:
The department admitted that Rs. 7.230 million in penal rent must be recovered from illegal occupants.
The committee directed the Administrative Department to ensure immediate recovery and obtain confirmation from the audit authorities.
DP 54:
The department clarified that one of the illegal occupants is a permanent employee of the Irrigation Department, and the matter has been escalated to higher authorities.
The committee ordered immediate eviction and recovery of penal rent from all unauthorized occupants.
Departmental Inaction: No Implementation of Directives
Despite clear instructions from the SDAC, no action has been taken to recover the outstanding penal rent or vacate the illegally occupied residences. This raises serious concerns about the efficiency, accountability, and governance of the Services & General Administration Department (S&GAD).
Are Officials Being Protected?
The department’s failure to enforce regulations and recover government dues raises several critical questions:
Why has S&GAD failed to act against unauthorized occupants?
the department deliberately providing relief to illegally residing officials?
Are certain high-ranking officers complicit in this negligence?
Does this case indicate deeper-rooted corruption in the government housing allocation system?
Urgent Reforms and Recommendations
To address this growing administrative failure, the Punjab Government and S&GAD must take immediate corrective measures, including:
Publishing a list of all unauthorized occupants and initiating strict legal action.
Ensuring immediate recovery of Rs. 7.230 million in penal rent and depositing it into the government treasury.
Enforcing eviction of all illegal occupants and redistributing houses through a transparent allotment system.
Holding senior officials accountable for failing to implement the allotment policy and recovering the dues.
Introducing a strict monitoring mechanism to prevent future violations in the allotment and occupation of government residences.
Conclusion
The illegal occupation of government residences and the failure to recover millions in penal rent expose serious governance lapses and systemic inefficiencies. The inaction of the S&GAD and its affiliated departments not only raises concern about misuse of public resources but also sets a dangerous precedent for further violations.
If swift and decisive action is not taken, this issue could escalate into a larger financial scandal, further burdening the public exchequer. The Punjab Government must act immediately to ensure transparency, accountability, and the fair utilization of government resources.
