Punjab Chief Secretary Nasir Mehmud Khosa on Thursday directed concerned officials to complete unfinished development projects and schemes in Rawalpindi by June 2011.
A total of 1,819 schemes were planned for 2010-11. Of these only 695 have been completed while the rest remain unfinished. The estimated cost of the projects was put at Rs17.080 billion.
Khosa directed the relevant departments to ensure completion of ongoing developmental schemes in Rawalpindi Division by utilising the funds released so far. The money released can be used by June 30 this year, after which a new budget will be announced.
The development schemes are being implemented under “Large City Package”, “MNAs/MPAs development package” and “Punjab Education System Reforms Program (PESRP)”.
He issued these instructions while presiding over a high-level meeting held in Commissioner Office, Rawalpindi to review the pace of work on different development projects in the city.
An official of the city administration told The Express Tribune that it was quite a challenging task to complete the pending projects.
“We are left with only two months, there is not enough time. Several projects proposed in 2007-08 are also still incomplete,” he said. He held the political interference in the routine works of the civic body responsible for the delay.
Commissioner Rawalpindi Division Zahid Saeed gave a detailed briefing at the meeting about the ongoing developmental schemes in Rawalpindi Division.
He said that the construction and rehabilitation work on Rashid Minhas Road from Mareer Hassan Chowk to Kutchery Chowk (Rs90 million), dualisation and improvement of 5th Road from Rehmanabad Chowk Murree Road to Holy Family Hospital (Rs149.7 million) and rehabilitation work of Murree Road from Lasania Hotel to Naz Cinema (Rs90 million) were “speedily in progress”.
He added that they were also working to improve parks in the city, for which Rs30 million have been allocated. The Parks and Horticulture Authority of Rawalpindi Development Authority is overlooking the improvement projects.
Saeed said that the finalisation of bids for the projects of a fly-over on the Murree Road from Benazir Shaheed Hospital to Rehmanabad Chowk and an under-pass at Chur Chowk, Peshawer Road have been completed.
He added that work on installation of software providing Urban Transport Control System (Rs32.515 million), dualisation of Golra Road from Peshawer Road to Kashmir Highway (Rs257.4 million) and renovation/upgradation of Pir Wadhai bus-stand (Rs60 million) is in progress and will be completed during the current fiscal year, as per target.
The commissioner said that 47 development schemes are being implemented for a total cost of Rs288 million under the MNA/MPA development package in Rawalpindi division. Under these schemes, upgradation of educational institutions will take place. Another 175 schemes are under implementation for providing other basic facilities with an allocation of Rs360 million, he said.
“Most of the work on such schemes would be completed as per schedule,” he said.
Punjab Chief Secretary Khosa said that special attention should be given to the recovery of revenue and the process of auction of various government properties as proposed by the Privatisation Commission of Punjab be expedited.
He added that the work for population census should also be completed as per the government schedule and 100 per cent coverage of the areas in this respect was to be ensured.
Officials of food department were told to facilitate farmers at wheat procurement centres that are being established in all districts of Punjab. “It should be ensured that the farmers get full and actual price of their wheat crop as fixed by the government,” said Khosa.
He directed Commissioner Rawalpindi and all DCOs of the districts of the division to make data collection convenient during the process of population census.
Published in The Express Tribune, April 21st, 2011.
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