RDA yet to start work on its complex, housing society projects

Development authority fails to deliver projects conceived years ago

RAWALPINDI: Two mega projects of the city’s top development body, RDA Complex and RDA Housing Society, have yet to be completed.

Rawalpindi Development Authority (RDA) laid the foundation of RDA Complex 14 years ago but no progress has been made on the project so far despite that its model was prepared shortly after the foundation laying was done however the project can be found only in documents.

Same was the case of RDA Housing Society regarding which several decisions were taken in numerous board meetings but the matter could not proceed beyond discussions too.

The foundation of the RDA complex was laid in June 2005 at the RDA Old Building site by the then Provincial Minister for Housing and Urban Development Punjab Syed Raza Ali. The description on the stone stated that the project was requested by then Chairman RDA Hamid Nawaz Raja. A model of the proposed mega project was thus prepared however it only remained restricted to the documents which can still be obtained from the old building.

The Rawalpindi Improvement Trust (RIT), the development institution for the city preceding RDA, surpassed performance compared to the new authority completing some 11 housing schemes in the garrison city despite having limited powers.

Subsequently, RDA, which was established 30 years ago, has failed to establish any new housing scheme since then despite that it made several announcements about it over three decades.

Interestingly, the authority is still facing a shortage of skilled professionals on various seats including the most important seat of chief engineer.

In this regard, Director General (DG) RDA Nadeem Ahmed Abro said that the RDA Complex had been approved in the 44th board meeting of RDA governing body while it was sent to Punjab Government for final approval.

Commenting on the nonexistence of any housing society constructed by the authority, the official said they the efforts for transfer of 1,600 Kanals land purchased by RDA were underway with the help of district administration. He assured that working for a housing society would begin as soon as the issue was resolved.

Published in The Express Tribune, November 30^th, 2019.