PTI govt gives Rs1.5b to uplift capital’s rural areas

SAPM says documents of six projects sent to interior ministry

ISLAMABAD: The federal government has allocated Rs1.5 billion for the uplift projects in the rural areas of the capital. This was announced by the Special Assistant to PM on Capital Development Authority (CDA) Affairs Ali Nawaz Awan during a news conference at the Press Information Department on Monday.

Besides launching several development projects in the federal capital, Awan said that the ruling Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) government had also helped increase job quotas in the federal government for residents of the city in grades one through 16.

Awan added that at least 60 per cent of Islamabad Capital Territory (ICT) comprises rural areas, however, past governments had failed to carry out development works in these areas.

The people of the capital’s rural areas have long been complaining of official neglect and discrimination, SAPM said.

He hoped that the allocation of Rs1.5 billion for development projects will provide to bring relief to residents of the rural areas of the federal capital.

To resolve the traffic issue faced by the resident of Bhara Kahu, Awan said that ground will be broken for the construction of a flyover on August 1 later this year.

He reiterated that the government is committed to providing all basic civic facilities to the residents of the rural areas of the capital.

Six mega projects

Meanwhile, the CDA has submitted initial project concept-I (PC-I) for six mega projects in the federal capital, including five interchanges, to the interior ministry for funding under the Public Sector Development Programme (PSDP), he added.

The projects, he said, are aimed at meeting the future traffic needs of the city by further expanding the road infrastructure.

The PC-Is which have been submitted to the interior ministry include an Rs1.485 billion plan to construct an interchange on Kashmir Highway at the intersection with Eleventh Avenue. Another PC-I worth Rs1.485 billion for constructing an interchange on Kashmir Highway at the intersection of Twelfth Avenue, a PC-I worth Rs1.1 billion for the construction of Tenth Avenue — complete with an interchange and underpasses from IJP Road to Khayaban-e-Iqbal, a PC-I worth Rs2.653 billion for constructing an interchange at the intersection of Ninth Avenue with IJP Road and a PC-I worth Rs1.924 billion for a grade-separated facility at the intersection of Seventh Avenue with Kashmir Highway.

Moreover, a PC-I worth Rs612.25 million has been sent to the ministry for the development of Blue Areas in Sectors F-9 and G-9.

Once these interchanges are built, the northern and southern sides of the city will be connected via a signal-free corridor.

The SAPM on CDA said maximum job opportunities would be provided to the resident of the federal capital.

Published in The Express Tribune, March 17^th, 2020.