New Punjab Assembly Building inches a step closer to finish line

After years of no progress and increasing project cost, govt vows to construct new provincial assembly building

LAHORE: Construction of the Punjab Assembly, which was initiated at the cost of Rs 1.48 billion during the tenure of Pervez Musharraf and Chief Minister Chaudhry Pervez Elahi, has not been completed even after 15 years. However, where the project itself has remained in a standstill, the cost has increased over the years to a whooping Rs 20 million putting the project in further jeopardy.

Erstwhile Chief Minister and current Speaker Punjab Assembly Chaudhry Pervez Elahi who initiated the project has expressed the desire to host the next annual budget meeting in the new building, for which the preparations are underway. That being said, the project, which was incepted in 2005 and was expected to be completed in a year’s time, has since seen four cost revisions which has increased the initial cost by several times.

As per details, after increase in the number of seats in the provincial assembly during Musharraf’s tenure, the House of Assembly had become inadequate for the MPAs. In times of full participation, like the election of Chief Minister Punjab, Speaker and Deputy Speaker National Assembly, members of the Assembly had to stand due to space constraints of the premises.

In the wake of that, the foundation stone for the renovation of the Punjab Assembly was laid in 2005 by the Chief Minister, the contract for which was awarded to a company by the name of Husnain Constructions. As per initial plans, the building was to be completed by the year 2006. However, the same contractor was also awarded the contract for the construction of the Chief Minister Secretariat on 7-Club Road, which was prioritised and in-turn slowed down the construction of the Punjab Assembly building. Following several hiccups, the said contractor had terminated work on the Assembly building but was later re-awarded the contract but the project has yet remained in a standstill.

The project was largely ignored during Shahbaz Sharif’s first phase, allegedly due to a Pakistan Muslim League-Q (PML-Q) project. The project was considered a political issue and no attention was paid towards it for a long while, which resulted in adding millions to the project cost.

However, another Rs 33 million was added to the project cost in the second phase of Pakistan Muslim League Nawaz (PML-N)’s government and it was decided that a new IT system would be installed in the said building. But despite the project receiving considerable attention in the last two years of Shahbaz Sharif’s government, the project once again could not be completed due to the technical aspects of installing a state-of-the-art IT system.

“Much like previous governments sitting on projects such as the Wazirabad Institute of Cardiology, PML-N too had deliberately turned a blind eye to the construction of the Punjab Assembly, which caused a burden of billions of rupees on the national exchequer,” said a present government official speaking about the stagnant case of the Punjab Assembly.

On the other hand, the present government and Speaker Punjab Assembly have taken a special interest in the completion of the long delayed construction project. According to the latest project completion date, the upcoming budget meeting is scheduled for the year 2020-21 in the new building and special instructions have been given to expedite the construction.

Furthermore, the current government has also increased the project cost by another Rs 20 million. Per details, a shed and a tuck shop for 200 drivers will also be constructed in the basement of the new Punjab Assembly building. The building has two parts including a hall and an Additional Building, where the assembly staff will sit and perform official affairs.

According to a source, the new building will also include a separate room for journalists coming for news coverage. “The new assembly building also allow the journalists access to modern computers, a high-speed internet connection and other facilities to assist their reporting,” the source disclosed.

Speaking to The Express Tribune, the source also informed that considering construction material for the building is to be imported from China; the Coronavirus threat might further delay the procurement process and a throw another spanner in the final stages of the building’s construction.

As per Speaker Punjab Assembly Chaudhry Pervaiz Elahi, it was not the PML-Q but the plan of the people of Punjab. “But PML-N had deliberately delayed the project, adding millions to the original cost but the present government has hit the pedal on the project and it is expected to be completed in time for the upcoming budget meeting,” Elahi asserted.

Published in The Express Tribune, March 10^th, 2020.