RDA mulls plan to restore Rawalpindi’s old area, fort

The city administration has formally engaged experts from the Walled City of Lahore Authority for the restoration of an old fort and commercial and residential areas from Bhabra Bazaar to Sarafa Bazaar Chowk.

The services of the Walled City of Lahore Authority had also been hired to restore the 150-year-old seven small temples located within a kilometre of Sujan Singh Haveli. Under the project, Bhabra Bazaar will have a food street and all old buildings would be restored to antiquity at a cost of Rs6 million.

The Metropolitan Municipal Corporation Rawalpindi will bear the cost of this restoration project.

Officials said the project for the restoration of the temples and Sajan Singh Haveli will cost Rs200 million, to be borne by the Punjab government. Rawalpindi Development Authority Chairman Tariq Murtaza told The Express Tribune that residents have also been included in the Bhabha Bazaar renovation and food street project.

He said that the inner road from Teli Mohalla Murree Road to Bhabra Bazaar will have tuff tiles while all wire and transmission lines will be passed through an underground pipeline.

There will be no electricity pylon within the limits of these renovated areas.

Under the project, all surrounding buildings will be painted with a single pattern while the food street will have the food street with stalls of all kind of local food and separate benches for men and women and families. The RDA chairman said that vehicles, rickshaws and motorbikes will not be allowed to enter the food market during a specified time.

An RDA official said that a survey has been completed for the restoration of Sajan Singh Haveli and the seven temples, which are in shambles. He said that work on this project will commence during the first quarter of the current financial year.

Officials said that Walled City of Lahore Authority head Kamran Lashari recently visited Rawalpindi to examine the project.