Govt may soon replace RDA chief

Rawalpindi Cantonment Board bans use of plastic shopping bags in its remits

RAWALPINDI: The government is likely to replace the Rawalpindi Development Authority (RDA) chairman, officials said on Saturday.

“In this regard, a summary has been sent to the Punjab Chief Minister Sardar Usman Buzdar,” an official privy to the development said requesting anonymity as he was not authorised to talk to the media.

Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) parliamentary secretary in Punjab Assembly Mohammad Adnan is expected to be named as the new chairman of RDA.

Well-placed sources said that the current RDA Chairman Arif Abbasi a former Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N), had made a number of powerful elements angry owing to his stand on a number of issues including illegal housing societies and encroachments.

Sources disclosed that a powerful person has purchased a 100 kanal land in RDA controlled Kotla Gaun in Rawat while all related permissions and approvals would be obtained from RDA.

Govt fails to complete public interest project

Similarly, there is a high probability that halted housing projects in other areas including Taxila, Adyala and Chakri would start again after deployment of a new chairman.

When The Express Tribune contacted Arif Abbasi to know his version, he said that the seat belonged to the party and he had no regrets about it.

He said that he was happy that he had worked with transparency and faced no charges of irregularity. He added that his conscience was satisfied.

Shuffle in RDA

The RDA has replaced Administration and Finance Director Shahid Imran Mirth with Ahmer Saleem Kaifi.

A notification to  this effect  has also been issued. Similarly, Water and Sanitation Agency (Wasa) Director Revenue Jamshed Aftab has been deployed as deputy managing director of the agency for administration and finance. The orders were given by RDA Director General (DG) Nadeem Ahmed Abru.

Plastic ban

Rawalpindi Cantonment Board (RCB) has banned usage of plastic shopping bags in its remits from today.

The violators will face an action in accordance to the law.

Sources said that there would be a complete ban on polythene bags in markets across the cantonment boards while teams would make surprise visits to inspect implementation on the ban.

RCB has suggested that citizens use alternate bags to save them from any action.

Decision reversed

RDA has reversed its decision to regularise 400 employees of Water and Sanitation Agency (WASA).

The minutes of the 44th meeting of RDA’s governing body disclosed that 10-15 employees were excluded from regularisation. The sources said that though the regularisation was decided in the meeting, the minutes released presented a different story.

Drive against illegal housing schemes from Wednesday: RDA

RDA has said that the related provincial ministry would make a decision about the regularisation of its employees. The decision has sent alarm bells ringing  creaing an air of distress and disappointment amongst employees.

WASA completes 15 new tube-wells

Due to the dwindling fresh water supplies in the city, Wasa has completed 15 new tube-wells. The supply from new installations will begin within the next week.

The new tube-wells are mainly focused on up to 150 areas which are currently facing an extreme water shortage.

Furthermore, five wells were closed after the quantity of water found after digging was inadequate whereas the agency has chosen other sites for their installations. The digging process in this regard is expected to start next week.

The installation cost has been estimated at around Rs200 million which was provided from funds of provincial and national lawmakers including Chaudhry Adnan, Rashid Hafeez, Fayazul Hasan Chohan and Aijaz Khan Jazi.

Published in The Express Tribune, September 1^st, 2019.