Estate Office completes digitisation of 28,000-plus allotment files
ISLAMABAD, Nov 13 (ABC):The Estate Office has digitised 28,116 government accommodation allotment files in Islamabad and four other major cities as part of a nationwide reform initiative launched by the Ministry of Housing and Works to ensure transparency.
It will ensure merit-based allotments and greater administrative efficiency, enabling federal government employees to apply for accommodation and track their applications through an automated online system.
According to an official document available with Wealth Pakistan, all 17,496 allotment files maintained by the Estate Office in Islamabad have been scanned and digitised.
In Karachi, Lahore, Quetta and Peshawar, another 10,620 files out of a total of 11,014 have been digitised.
The digitisation drive is part of broader administrative reforms aimed at eliminating manual intervention, strengthening accountability and ensuring that government accommodation is allotted to eligible federal government employees strictly on merit.
As part of the reforms, the Estate Office has developed and operationalised a web-based automated allotment system that allows employees to register online for the General Waiting List (GWL), while seniority is calculated automatically.
The system also provides SMS alerts and online application tracking facilities.
The department has discontinued the acceptance of manual applications, requiring employees to submit their requests through the online system.
The move is intended to reduce physical visits to Estate Office facilities and make the allotment process more accessible and transparent.
The document reveals that 894 government residences were allotted on merit through the General Waiting List system in Islamabad between July 2025 and June 2026.
In another major step to address the unauthorised occupation of government accommodation, allotments of 2,200 houses previously occupied illegally were cancelled.
These residences were subsequently allotted to eligible government employees on the General Waiting List following a survey conducted under the direction of the Federal Cabinet.
The reforms also included a policy change concerning the transfer of government accommodation.
The Ministry of Housing and Works withdrew, on June 7, 2024, the policy that allowed government employees to transfer their accommodation allotments from other stations to Islamabad.
Meanwhile, the e-Office system has become fully operational at all Estate Office stations, with official files now being processed electronically, eliminating manual handling and further streamlining departmental operations.
The measures collectively mark a shift towards a technology-driven accommodation management system, with the government seeking to improve transparency, curb irregularities, and ensure fair distribution of residential facilities among federal employees.