Pindi mega projects yet to move ahead
The prime objective of the construction relief and amnesty scheme is to revive the coronavirus-hit national economy and create job opportunities, especially for daily-wage earners. PHOTO: FILE
The progress on all proposed megaprojects of Rawalpindi has now been automatically postponed to the next calendar year.
Numerous announcements were made throughout 2020 for the launching of the projects but there was not practical work except meetings and press statements.
Apart from the proposed projects, many projects of the previous government could not be completed during 30 months-long tenure of the incumbent government.
The delayed projects include Rawalpindi Institute of Urology and Kidney Transplant (RIUKT), incomplete metro bus route, and model graveyard in Dhamyal Rakh on 2,000 Kanals.
Similarly, no progress on the proposed water supply project aiming to channel water from Ghazi Barotha to Rawalpindi and Islamabad has been made too.
This year, no major development in Rawalpindi could be observed other than the maintenance of parks, kitchen gardening, new tube wells, water supply network, and road infrastructure. It should be noted that with rising populations, the twin cities need mega projects related to water supply.
The Rawalpindi Ring Road Project and the Leh Expressway too remained hot topics of political and official statements, though groundwork on these thoroughfares has yet to begin.
Published in The Express Tribune, January 3rd, 2021.