RMC okays Rs3b budget

Funds allocated for upgrading bus stand, renovating Jinnah Hall

RAWALPINDI:

The Rawalpindi Metropolitan Corporation (RMC) on Wednesday formally approved a tax-free and surplus budget of over Rs3 billion for the financial year 2020-21.

Rawalpindi Chief Commissioner Muhammad Mahmood, in his capacity as the administrator of RMC, approved the budget worth Rs3.41 billion.

As per the budget documents available with The Express Tribune, the corporation expects to earn a revenue of around Rs1.81 billion in the next financial year. Moreover, a surplus sum of Rs1.6 billion will be carried over from the outgoing financial year as income in the new budget.

Further, some Rs1.29 billion have been earmarked for unexpected expenses which include Rs500 million for disbursement of pensions.

In the budget, Rs2.1 billion have been reserved for development projects. Of this, Rs730.2 million - or 34.77 per cent of the total development budget - will be spent on new development projects.

The corporation also intends to spend around Rs50.4 million on development projects which will continue from the last year.

The budget documents said that Rs60 million will be spent on upgrading the General Bus Stand and Ideal Park, while Rs100 million have been earmarked for the renovation of Jinnah Hall.

The corporation has allocated Rs10.2 million for demarcating land in the Jhangi Syedan area of the district.

Due to the novel coronavirus (Covid-19) pandemic, the corporation has also sent a summary to the Punjab Local Government secretary, asking the official to officially waive a month’s rent for shops owned by the RMC.

RDA budget on July 10

Meanwhile, the Rawalpindi Development Authority (RDA) has summoned a meeting of its board on July 10 wherein it intends to present, deliberate and approve a budget for worth Rs16.449 billion the incoming fiscal year 2020-21.

RDA Chairman Tariq Murtaza is expected to chair the board’s budget meeting. The board is expected to deliberate upon issues other than the budget as well.

Meanwhile, a meeting of RDA’s Finance Sub-Committee was held on Wednesday Chaired by the Finance Director General Ammara Khan, it approved 11 new and eight on-going development schemes.

These projects will be completed from the funds provided by the federal and provincial and governments, besides utilising RDA’s own resources.

The new projects which have been proposed for the incoming financial year are the feasibility study for the Ring Road project and acquiring land for the project.

Other new development schemes include the remodelling of Kutcheri Chowk, Defence Chowk and Double Road. The construction of Lehtrar Road, Liaquat Bagh signal-free corridor has also been included in the city’s master plan.

RDA expects to receive funds in the form of grants under the federal government’s Public Sector Development Programme (PSDP) for the construction of the Leh Expressway and a flood channel. Other projects include adding two floors to the Fawara Chowk Parking Plaza, which will be funded by the Punjab government under its Annual Development Programme (ADP).

The development authority also expects to receive funds from the provincial government for on-going projects such as the extension and construction of different roads.

This includes a road from Airport to Ammar Chowk, Tipu Road to Airport Road and Qadir Road and Dry Port Road. Pedestrian bridges will also be built on Airport Road this year.

The sub-committee also approved the one-window computerisation, digitising land record and preparation of Rawalpindi Master Plan projects for the fiscal year 2020-21.

These proposals will be presented before RDA’s board for the final approval

Published in The Express Tribune, July 2^nd, 2020.