ADB to finance infrastructure development worth Rs300m

Senior Minister directs LG department to ensure transparent use of funds

LAHORE: The Asian Development Bank (ADB) will put up $300 million to upgrade infrastructure and present civic facilities in four cities of Punjab province. The provincial government would contribute $50 million for the same programme.
Senior Punjab Minister Abdul Aleem Khan has directed the Local Government and Community Development Department to ensure the transparent use of funds and observe all rules and regulations in this regard.
Under this programme, the cities of Sargodha, Muzafar Garh, Rahim Yar Khan and Bahawalpur would benefit and this is the second phase of the Punjab Intermediate Cities Improvement Investment Programme. In the first phase, civic facilities in Sialkot and Sahiwal cities were upgraded.
Aleem said that in the past government, such funds were plundered with bogus companies. However, now the government would ensure that each and every penny is being utilised meticulously. He said sustainable steps should be taken for the uplift of civic facilities and it should also be ensured that there is no wastage. The senior minister said international donor agencies are relying on the present leadership of Pakistan.

Punjab Cities Improvement Investment Programme includes the provision of water supply, sewerage facilities, solid waste management and other civic amenities. A workshop also took place under the same program. It was addressed by Urban Development Specialist Gordon Smith, Project Manager Cities Development Initiative Asia Brian Capati, Project Director Romain Vivant, Team Leader Urban Resilience Specialist Asim Manji, Deputy Team Leader and Urban Development Specialist Nadeem Khurseed, Project Coordinator Mujeeb ur Rehman Khan and Capacity Development Specialist Dina Khan. They highlighted the aims and objectives of the programme in the four cities of Punjab.
Program Director Qaiser Saleem lauded the efforts of the Asian Development Bank for the improvement of infrastructure. He said steps had already been taken in Sargodha and other cities of South Punjab under the Punjab Intermediate Cities Improvement Investment Programme. He added more workshops would be held on November 15 and 16 in Bahawalpur.
According to ADB’s Technical Assistance (TA) Completion Report for a similar project completed on December 31, 2011, the TA was aimed to prepare the Punjab Cities Improvement Investment Programme which was proposed to help the provincial government develop intermediate cities with clear vision and with integrated, efficient, and sustainable systems and services.

It was supporting Punjab government’s long-term investment program underpinning the Punjab’s urban strategy for intermediate cities, which  was estimated at  $2.35  billion  (2010-2030),  whereas  a  medium-term  slice  of  this  program  (for  2010-2018) was  estimated  at  $1.08  billion. The investment program was considered as the foundation for ADB’s long-term urban sector engagement in Punjab’s intermediate urban centers.

The investment program was to support  intermediate  cities ‘ development  by increasing access  to portable and  continuous water supply as well as improved sanitation and improving urban transport.  to enhance quality of life and to yield environmental and public health benefits, thereby making them more competitive for investments.

The TA was originally planned over an 18-month period and divided in two overlapping phases. The first focusing on design of a multi tranche financing facility (MFF) and the second on capacity  building  and awareness  for  the  MFF  implementation.

The program envisaged physical  and non-physical investments of about $500 million to be disbursed in 4-5 tranches. The proposed first tranche of the MFF would target Sialkot as it was the best developed of Punjab’s intermediate cities