RMC turns to World Bank to launch projects

RCB promises to probe complaints that anti-encroachment officials extorted businesses

RAWALPINDI: With the provincial government imposing a ban on launching development schemes, even those from its own resources, the municipal government in Rawalpindi has turned to an unlikely source to fund and launch development schemes in the city — the World Bank.

The Rawalpindi Municipal Corporation (RMC) has forwarded schemes worth of Rs100 million to the World Bank Development Loan scheme.

The new schemes to be built under the scheme include the construction of a road from Kashmiri Bazaar to Ratta Leh Bridge road, along with the Holy Family Hospital and Muhalla Raja Sultan Road as these roads were in poor shape.

Moreover, a sewerage drain will be built in Union Council 27 while the boundary wall of a graveyard will be built. Several vehicles and heavy machinery of the RMC will be repaired with the money as well.

Previously, the RMC has not been able to kick-off development schemes worth of Rs650 million in 46 UCs of the city for the past six months after the provincial government refused to issue funds and also effectively barred the municipal corporation from issuing tenders for any new projects.

Rawalpindi Mayor Sardar Naseem Khan said that the difficulties faced by the citizens were piling up by the day because of the ban on issuing tenders.

He further complained that local representatives have not been allowed to commence development schemes even from the funds which had been generated at the municipal level.

He clarified that they were not seeking any kind of grants from the provincial government for these schemes but had still been blocked from working on development schemes.

RDA transfers scheme in charges

The Rawalpindi Development Authority (RDA) has decided to change the scheme in-charges who have been deployed in a single position for a long period of time.

Orders in this regard were issued after a notice was issued by RDA Chairman Arif Abbasi to change long-serving in-charges in seven housing schemes of RDA including Asghar Mall, Sherpao Colony, and Millat Colony.

Further, Abbasi has directed to conduct a survey in 14 housing schemes of the authority to identify those houses which have not been built as per their building plan.

Subsequently, the RDA chairman said that encroachments will be torn down and that authority will fine landowners who had violated their building plans.

Further, RDA has been slow to recover fees for new water connections having recovered only Rs100.5 million in the past seven months despite having set an annual target of Rs250 million.

The department has severed as many as 400 illegal water connections in the previous month but a large number of illegal water connections are still operating in different parts of the city.

The department claims it has issued notices to some 11 water bill defaulters.

Encroachment extortion

A citizen has filed a complaint claiming that the anti-encroachment department of the Rawalpindi Cantonment Board (RCB) was extorting those who encroach on state land instead of removing them as per court orders.

In a written complaint filed at the RCB Care Centre, Ghulam Muhiuddin has claimed that RCB employee Raja Nadeem, who masquerades as an Enforcement Inspector, had extorted him on a monthly basis to keep his business running.

He added that he had allegedly been paying the inspector Rs10,000 every month for a year through his subordinate Sarfaraz. However, the inspector was now demanding to increase this monthly rate and had threatened Muhiuddin face the consequences if he did not comply with his offer.

He demanded the higher authorities reimburse him and to take legal action against the official.

A spokesperson for the RCB said that they will conduct an inquiry based on the complaint and if found guilty, the suspects would be punished.

Eviction notices served

In a bid to protect the public, the RMC has issued final eviction orders to residents of some 280 worn-out buildings in the older parts of the city.

The eviction orders were after the incidents of buildings collapse during the ongoing rainy season.

Building owners and residents have been served final eviction notices to immediately evacuate these buildings. They have been warned of legal action if they fail to abide by the orders.

The RMC plans to demolish these buildings once they have been evacuated to eliminate any threats to the public.

The old and crumbling buildings are located in the old areas of the city including Bhabara Bazaar, Sarafa Bazaar, Shah Chan Chirag, Pull Shah Nazar, Akal Garh, Usman Pura, Kartar Pura, Chatyan Hatyan, Bohar Bazaar, Trunk Bazaar, Moti Bazaar, Purana Qila, Jamia Masjid Road, Mohalla Niyariyan, Bani Muhalla , Waris Khan along with the suburban area of Ghazni Road near Lal Haveli.

Most of these are three-storey buildings while four to six families, on an average, live in them.

However, the residents have not evacuated these buildings despite their decrepit condition due to the low rents.

Further, most of the owners of these buildings are the employees of Auqaf Department however they have not renovated these buildings due to a shortage of funds. 

Published in The Express Tribune, February 22^nd, 2019.