Rs2.287b RDA budget caught up in red-tape

Punjab govt fails to appoint chairman, governing body members

RAWALPINDI:

The Rs2,287 million budget of the Rawalpindi Development Authority (RDA), approved by the now-dissolved finance sub-committee on May 30 for the financial year 2022-23, has fallen prey to red-tapism as the Punjab government has failed to approve the budget in the absence of the civic agency’s chairman and governing body members.

Earlier, the RDA had sought Rs2.287 billion from the Punjab government for various development projects including the Rawalpindi Ring Road and the Nullah Leh Expressway and flood channel projects in the next financial year.

Sources said that the proposed budget is yet to be approved as the new government has failed to appoint the RDA chairman and governing body members.

It may be mentioned that after the formation of the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz government in Punjab, RDA former chairman Tariq Mehmood Murtaza and the governing body members had resigned.

The Punjab government has failed to appoint a new chairman and the governing body of the RDA.

In the absence of a governing body for final approval of the budget, it has been decided to send the budget estimate to the Punjab government for approval, the sources said.

Earlier, the finance committee meeting was held under the chair of RDA Director-General Tahir Zafar Abbasi.

The RDA has included ongoing development schemes such as the Rawalpindi Ring Road from Banth to Thalian worth Rs12,000 million for the current year and the provision of LED streetlights for Ward 1 to Ward 6 of Chaklala Cantonment Board, UC-42, UC-75 and UC-78 Rawalpindi for which Rs10 million have been allocated, he said.

Under the annual development programme, Rs20 million has also been allocated and sought for land acquisition for the construction of Nullah Leh Expressway and flood channel phase-1 from Katarian to Ammar Chowk.

Similarly, Rs300 million has also been allocated for the remodelling of Katchehri Chowk, Rs300 million for the remodelling of Defence Chowk, and Rs20 million for the establishment of a project management unit for the Leh Expressway project.

A total of Rs20 million has been sought for the establishment of the project management unit of the Leh Expressway project in the current financial year.

The RDA achieved the revenue target of Rs433 million in the outgoing financial year.

Similarly, a total of Rs395 million has been allocated for non-development expenditures including salaries, pension, utility bills and maintenance etc.

 

Published in The Express Tribune, June 29^th, 2022.