LDA budget: Underpass, bridge on Ferozepur Road planned

Body approves Rs22 billion budget with deficit of Rs2 billion.

LAHORE:

The governing body of the Lahore Development Authority (LDA) has approved a budget of Rs22.376 billion for fiscal 2011-12, including development spending of Rs14.77 billion.

The total income of the LDA, the Water and Sanitation Agency (WASA) and the Traffic Engineering and Transport Authority (TEPA) will be an estimated Rs20.101 billion in 2011-12. The budget was approved at a meeting chaired by District Coordination Officer Ahad Khan Cheema. LDA Director General Abdul Jabbar Shaheen and WASA Managing Director Dr Javed Iqbal also attended.

The LDA’s income has been estimated at Rs12.602 billion and expenditure at Rs11.633 billion, including Rs9.38 billion for development work.

The major allocations include Rs666 million for infrastructure in the LDA Avenue-1 residential area for government employees; Rs 500 million for the development of the Trade and Finance Centre area in Johar Town; Rs100 million to build cricket pavilions at various sites, including Rs50 million for a cricket ground in the Sabzazar Housing Scheme.

A total of Rs500 million has been reserved for priority works, including Rs164 million for pedestrian bridges at six places.

There is also Rs1.21 billion for the Lahore Roads Rehabilitation Programme, including Rs110 million for improvements to Faisal Town Main Road and Rs113 million for the widening and improvement of Model Town Link Road. The budget includes Rs1.2 billion for the construction of three parking plazas, and Rs2 billion for an underpass connecting Gulberg’s Main Boulevard and Garden Town at Kalma Chowk and an overhead bridge at Ferozepur Road over the Canal.

Wasa’s budget has total receipts of Rs4.21 billion and spending of Rs7.52 billion, including Rs2.30 billion for development. The agency will spend Rs141.28 million on installing 20 new tube wells; Rs199 million on removing encroachments to restore the original 40-feet cross section of Sattukatla drain from Feroezepur Road to Peco Road; and Rs125 million on improving the water supply, sewerage and drainage of the city.

Among the ongoing schemes, Rs100 million will be spent on sewerage and drainage works; Rs251 million on a trunk sewer from Shadipura to Salamatpura; Rs245 million to replace water supply lines; and Rs500 million for a waste water treatment plant at Salamatpura.

Tepa will have a total of Rs3.28 billion at its disposal. Its expenditure has been estimated at Rs3.21 billion including development works costing Rs3.09 billion.

The major allocations include Rs188 million to build a road from Khayaban-i-Jinnah to Valencia Town; Rs147 million for the remodelling of Canal Bank Road; and Rs2 million for the construction of an alternate route from Defence Road to the Butcher Khana distributary.

Published in The Express Tribune, August 2^nd, 2011.