To be hired: RDA remains headless

Positions of chief engineer, director administration and finance also vacant

RAWALPINDI:

In the absence of a regular director general (DG), routine issues at the Rawalpindi Development Authority (RDA) are getting affected.

Azmat Mahmood was appointed Rawalpindi commissioner a few days ago and would also oversee RDA affairs until an appointment is made at the RDA.

Earlier, District Coordination Officer Sajid Zafar Dall and former Rawalpindi commissioner Zahid Saeed looked after the office.

Chaudhry Naseer Ahmed, former DG of the authority, was removed in January 2014. The charge was given to Saeed, with the most significant part being monitoring the Rs50 billion Metro Bus Service (MBS) project between Rawalpindi and Islamabad.

An RDA official told The Express Tribune that the charge was shifted so that it would be easier for him to coordinate with different departments for timely completion of the project.

The official further said that the commissioner played an important role in acquiring the land for the MBS project. He added that the project had been completed and run by the Metro Bus Authority in Lahore.

He further said that primarily the commissioner had to oversee administrative affairs of four districts and other important issues. He could not give enough time to look after routine affairs of RDA, he added.

The authority also needs to appoint a new chief engineer and a new administration and finance director. The two posts fell vacant after their previous holders retired eight months ago.

Unavailability of senior officials in the authority has been hindering administrative issues, budgetary matters, internal hiring and approval of building designs.

Published in The Express Tribune, March 19^th, 2016.