RMC’s Rs2.5b budget stopped for ignoring SC’s orders

Order related to reinstatement of local bodies, pending contempt of court petitions.

RAWALPINDI:

The Rawalpindi Metropolitan Corporation (RMC) has withheld and stopped development budget worth Rs2.5 billion due to non-implementation of the Supreme Court (SC) decision to reinstate the local bodies and pending contempt of court petitions.

According to details, the RMC Administrative Commissioner (AC) allocated a Rs2.5 billion development budget in the 2021-22 approved budget. The national and provincial assemblies members were asked to propose development plans for their constituencies under the budget. However, implementation of the development budget could not be decided due to the petitions pending in the courts regarding restoration of local bodies and the Punjab government also did not take a stand on the matter.

Owing to these factors, the RMC management eventually had to stop implementation on the budget. As a result, construction and repair of roads, streets, drainage, sidewalks, and other works in the RMC limits have been hampered.

Read Rs6 billion surplus budget for RMC

Meanwhile, the already exacerbated parking problem around major business centres and roads is likely to become worse. The RMC had started a project to build three parking plazas at the former municipal office site, Bani Chowk Market, and Commercial Market adjacent to Fawara Chowk. However, the suspension of funds has halted work on these projects.

The only ongoing RMC development work is the civil work on the RMC Assembly Secretariat building. The building was constructed 10 years ago but with an incomplete structure, and work is slow.

Moreover, the reinstated representatives cannot forward public issues to the RMC administration due to their inability to function. In this regard, Union Council (UC) College Road Chairman Raja Mushtaq Ahmed said that despite his reinstatement on the SC order, none of his proposals was being acknowledged nor any work being done on it.

He warned there is increasing pressure on them from the public that if their problems are not resolved then the government will be responsible for the situation.

On the other hand, an RMC official said on condition of anonymity that they are bound to obey the government's decision and the budget allocated for development is all but practically ceased. Only salaries, pensions, and utility services bills are being paid from the budget.

Published in The Express Tribune, August 6^th, 2021.