IJP Road: Rehabilitation work likely to hit a snag

IMC, Capital Development Authority at loggerheads over bearing cost of the project

ISLAMABAD: The already slow pace of work on the rehabilitation of the IJP Road is likely to hit a snag as the Islamabad Metropolitan Corporation (IMC) and the civic agency have locked horns over bearing the cost of the project.

Islamabad Mayor Sheikh Anser Aziz inaugurated rehabilitation work on the IJP Road in the last week of July despite a written request by the Capital Development Authority (CDA) not to go ahead with the project.

According to sources in the CDA, under a formula for distribution of departments, all principal roads, and major avenues were to be retained by the civic agency for maintenance and rehabilitation, while small and link roads were to be maintained by the IMC.

“This project was started by the CDA and its contract was also awarded by the authority. It is the sole mandate of the civic agency to execute the ongoing projects as per the distribution formula,” the CDA Member Engineering, Shahid Sohail, said, while talking to The Express Tribune.



He categorically said that the civic agency would not bear the rehabilitation cost of the project if it was carried out by the IMC.

On the other hand, the Islamabad mayor claimed that the IMC was supposed to get Rs2 billion from the CDA.

The prime minister, under a special grant, had approved Rs5 billion for the civic agency for reconstruction and rehabilitation of roads in the federal capital, and the mayor has contended that the CDA will transfer the unutilised sum of Rs2 billion to the IMC to carry out the rehabilitation work on the IJP and other roads.

“We have an arrangement with the contractor of the IJP Road that he will be paid when the IMC will receive funds from the federal government and the CDA,” Aziz said, adding that the issue with the CDA regarding the transfer of departments and funds had been settled during a meeting with the prime minister.

Islamabad Metropolitan Chief Officer Asad Kiyani said that work on the IJP Road was in progress and currently, base work was under way.

He said that the rehabilitation work would be completed at a stipulated time.

The issue of the dilapidated IJP Road also echoed at different forums including the National Assembly due to its importance.

The IJP Road not only connects the twin cities but also the main link between many other areas and the upper parts of the country.

It is one of the busiest roads with an estimated flow of 200,000 vehicles per day.

The road has been in a shambles due to movement of heavy cargo and public transport, while the CDA did not pay heed for the maintenance and rehabilitation of the important road over the years. Of late, the CDA, after the intervention of the prime minister, had allocated around Rs1 billion for the restoration of roads in Islamabad.

Many capital roads have recently been carpeted, while potholes had also been filled by the civic agency before the mayor asked the civic agency to stop work on roads and transfer the remaining sum from the specially granted funds to the local government to carry out other important works.

Published in The Express Tribune, August 21^st, 2016.