Pindi may get new food street in city centre

Auction of stalls to generate funds for civic authorities

RAWALPINDI: The Parks and Horticulture Authority has entered into an agreement with the Rawalpindi Development Authority (RDA) to provide land for a new food street.

RDA will develop the new food street on the land adjacent to Committee Chowk near Sherpao Colony in the centre of the city.

The recreation area offering nightlife to foodies is likely to open by New Year, said PHA Director General Shafqat Raza. “This new food street will be a gift for citizens from PHA and RDA,” Raza said talking to the Express Tribune.

The venture is likely to generate revenue for the cash-strapped civic authorities. RDA will give stalls in open auction to food and beverage businesses, he said adding that transparency will be ensured in the process.

Eating out is one of the favourite pastimes of the Pakistani people. The food street will bring together quality local and localised-foreign cuisines under the watch of health and hygiene officials, he said.

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The prime season of eating out is in Ramazan, when people indulge gluttony during Sehar and Iftar times. Raza said the authorities will make special arrangements to keep the food street alive all through the night in Ramazan.

The focus will be on quality and cleanness, city authorities will cancel the contracts of stalls selling unhygienic, expensive and impure foods, Raza said.

Security is also high on priority, keeping in view that people come with families and there are lots of women and children enjoying cool nights while eating out, he said. In this regard, there will be a proper security system and the area will be monitored from close circuit TV cameras.

Among the top attraction of the food street will be the local delights including spinach, cornbread, lassi, desi ghee, food cooked in pure dairy butter, paratha, chicken tikka and tikkas and kebabs of all sorts. Besides, these time tested delicacies, food vendors selling ostrich meat have express interest in opening outlets at the new food street.

The venue will offer ostrich barbeque and karahi, Raza said adding the traditional Chinese offerings of soups and noodles besides some continental cuisines will also be available here.

New parks

PHA has developed two new parks in the city with modern facilities, Raza said. The new Mohra Sharif Park in Khayaban Sir Syed covers an area of 11 kanal and is built on the self-help basis.

The park has walking tracks and children's swings as well as flowerbeds. Special arrangements for security have also been arranged, he said.

The other park is built on a spacious site near the Airport Housing Society. In the second phase, both these parks will have a modern kids’ area and as well as fun houses. Earlier, the thousands of families residing in these areas did not have any park.

After the addition, the number of parks controlled by the PHA has increased to 55. “We have decided to create parks for the convenience of families in each area. If healthy recreational areas such as parks and playgrounds are provided to the youth and children, we will be having little need for hospitals and dispensaries.”

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In future, all parks will have facilities for economical food and quality drinks while better security will be ensured. The parks are also being equipped with additional benches and lights, he said. “PHA is launching programme for upgrading all parks,” Raza said.

Funds shortage

PHA director general said the Punjab government has not released its funds since the start of the new financial year in July.

“PHA does not have funds to even pay the salaries of the employees. The employees are being paid salaries with loans being taken by the authority,” he said.

PHA has sent many requests, but the Punjab finance department was saying that it was facing financial crisis therefore it could not release the allocations. The DG and chairman of PHA were making efforts to get the funds released and resolve the issues of the authority.

Published in The Express Tribune, November 23^rd, 2019.