The recent removal of Syed Gulzar Hussain Shah and Muhammad Ali from their respective posts of Rawalpindi Commissioner and Deputy Commissioner (DC) has reportedly thrown a spanner in the works of the upcoming Leh Expressway and Ring Road projects.
Sources in the local administration told The Express Tribune that the recent development, which took place in the wake of the Murree tragedy, is expected to delay the launch of both mega projects that have already been a victim of previous postponements.
The sources explained that the transferred officials were the major driving forces behind both schemes and had been actively involved in the entire process up till the day of their removal from their administrative posts.
The projects have already suffered inordinate delays due to a combination of insufficient funds and controversies.
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Reportedly, an amount exceeding Rs3 billion for land acquisition had already been paid to the relevant landlords by former commissioner Muhammad Mahmood land acquisition collector Wasim Tabish for the controversial Ring Road project.
However, once the Ring Road scandal came to light, the Punjab government ceased all further processes and tasked the then newly appointed commissioner Syed Gulzar Hussain Shah to recover the aforementioned amount.
But, the official was removed before matters in this regard could proceed further.
The sources disclosed that the said amount is yet to be returned to the exchequer of the Punjab government, as the landlords failed to return the sum despite multiple attempts by the district administration.
They added that the Executive Committee of the National Economic Council (ECNEC) had given conditional permission for the Ring Road project, after which work was being done as per the body’s directives.
The former commissioner, in collaboration with the National Highway Authority (NHA), was formulating a plan to determine the axle load of the Ring Road as well as the expected traffic load on the road via the Motorway.
Correspondence with other relevant departments of the Punjab government was also in progress, and construction work of both the Leh Expressway and Ring Road projects was poised to commence.
However, tragedy in Murree struck, and the ensuing investigation report spurred the government to replace the two main officials involved in the game-changing projects.
Sources added that at the moment, making Murree safe for the remainder of the snowfall season is the top priority of the recently appointed commissioner and deputy commissioner.
The two officials have yet to convene a consultative meeting on the Leh Expressway and Ring Road projects, and until then, all progress on the schemes and coordination with other departments has been halted, possibly creating further delays in the commencement of both projects.
The 17-kilometre-long Leh Expressway will be built at a cost of Rs130 billion and the Rawalpindi Ring Road at a cost of Rs100 billion.
The Leh Expressway will have interchanges and bridges, while commercial hubs will be built on both sides of Leh Expressway and Ring Road.
Published in The Express Tribune, January 23rd, 2022.
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