Govt spending hefty amounts on development projects: Commissioner
RAWALPINDI: The Punjab government is making all out efforts and using available resources to start new development projects and special grants and packages are being given by the Chief Minister,...
August 21, 2011
He said that hefty amounts were being spent for the development of Rawalpindi city. Performance-wise Rawalpindi division was at third position among all the divisions of the province during last year as several development projects were completed and a number of new ones had been identified for the current year, he added.
The Commissioner said that under the 'big city' package of Chief Minister Punjab, a flyover from Benazir Bhutto Shaheed Hospital to Sixth Road Rawalpindi would be constructed with an underpass at Stadium Road Chowk on Murree Road to make the road signal free. The project would be completed at a cost of Rs 2.3 billion and its PC-1 had been sent to the Punjab government.
He said another project to widen Mareer Railway bridge by 20 feet, to give way to the traffic of Liaquat Bagh to Kutchary Chowk, would also be undertaken. The project has been included in Annual Development Programme (ADP) while its PC-1 is being prepared, he said.
A development project to construct underpass at Chore Chowk is also included in the ADP. The design of the project has been finalized while its PC-1 is being formed, he added. To a question he said allout efforts were being made by the Punjab government to start Ring Road project which would cost Rs 70 billion and foreign funding for the project was being arranged. Talks were underway with China and Turkey in that regard, he added.
He further said that the Punjab government had allocated Rs 34 million each for every MNAs and MPAs of the province while an additional grant of Rs 8 million was also allocated for MPAs under which various development projects would be started.
Under the provincial grants, different projects of education, roads and water supply will be completed, he said adding, the schemes have been identified. Several tenders have also been advertised in newspapers.
The commissioner said efforts are being made to award contracts of projects to the contractors so that after Eid-ul-Fitr, construction work could be started and the projects could be completed within stipulated timeframe.
Zahid Saeed said that a cardiac hospital being constructed in Rawalpindi would be functional this year as 90 percent work of the building has been completed. Machinery and other equipment for the hospital are being purchased, he added.
He said the foundation stone of Institute of Urology Project, to be built at the cost of Rs 2 billion near 6th Road would be laid by the Punjab Chief Minister after Eid-ul-Fitr.
Another Women and Child Hospital project near Committee Chowk which would cost Rs500 million would also be started this year, he added.
He said this year, several other projects including Kuri Road, Road project from Transformer Chowk which links the area with Islamabad Highway, a 1.5 km portion from Wahdat Colony to Union Council Kalial on Adalia Road, Liaquat road to Fawara Chowk road carpeting project, Khota Khurd to Lalazar on Damial road and other projects would be started.
The Commissioner said this year Rs 500 million each would be provided to Chakwal, Jhelum and Attock districts of Rawalpindi division while regular development projects would also be launched in these cities.
The Commissioner said that under the instructions of Chief Minister Punjab, a number of development projects have been identified which will be started during the current financial year. To a question he said all-out efforts would be made in Rawalpindi division to fight dengue fever. Tehsil municipal authorities will be responsible for taking anti-dengue measures in urban areas while District Health Department will be responsible for preventive measures in rural areas.
Currently, there is no dengue fever case in Rawalpindi as there were 14 suspected patients whose medical tests were found negative, he added.
The Commissioner said that spray and fumigation has been completed in areas which were affected last year while under special drive for anti-dengue spray, all other cities and union councils of the division would be covered.
