Construction of Southern Loop III approved

Buzdar directed officials to expand the scope of WCLA to the entire province

LAHORE: Punjab Chief Minister Sardar Usman Buzdar has given approval for construction of the Southern Loop III of Lahore Ring Road. The completion of this section would connect Lahore Ring Road with Multan Road and will dramatically reduce travel time for commuters.

Presiding over a meeting of the Lahore Ring Road Authority (LRRA) and Lahore Ring Road Council (LRRC) on Tuesday, the chief minister also gave a green signal to start land acquisition for Southern Loop IV project.

The meeting accorded approval to the budget of Lahore Ring Road Council for the year 2018-19, besides approving the revised budget of 2017-18.

The meeting also decided to upgrade the scale of junior patrolling officers from Grade-9 to Grade-11. Buzdar directed the officials concerned to take relevant steps as per the law to upgrade these posts. The meeting also approved rationalisation of LRRA posts, which would help in saving over Rs45 million.

Buzdar said that the Southern Loop III project should be completed through public-private partnership. He directed meeting participants to solve all technical issues pertaining to the project at the earliest and ensure transparent bidding as per the law. He urged officials to further extend the public-private partnership model.

Lahore Division Commissioner and LRRA Chairman Dr Mujtaba Piracha gave a detailed briefing to meeting participants about organisational performance, budget, and other relevant matters.

Meanwhile, presiding over a separate meeting of the Walled City of Lahore Authority (WCLA), the chief minister directed officials to expand the scope of the authority to the entire province.

Buzdar said that like Lahore, many other cities enjoy historical importance and they can also promote tourism. The Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) government was working to develop the tourism sector in a sustainable manner. Restorating historic buildings to their original shape would help attract tourists and promote the sector in the province, he underlined.

He ordered the constitution of a committee to expand the scope of WCLA to other cities. The committee would evaluate proposals and suggest necessary steps. The chief minister said that historic Hiran Minar should be developed as a tourist spot.

The meeting also accorded approval to hold festivals to project the multifaceted history and culture of the Punjab province, said Buzdar, adding that festivals would help to project a softer image of Pakistan.

WCLA Director General Kamran Lashari briefed meeting participants about the authority's initiatives and restoration of various historic buildings.