PTI-led govts failed to launch mega projects in Pindi

The two provincial governments led by Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) could neither start any mega project of their own nor complete any of the pending projects launched by their political opponents in the Rawalpindi district.

The district was essentially deprived of mega projects during the five and a half months tenure of former Punjab chief minister Chaudhry Pervez Elahi as well as the four years of the ex-CM Usman Buzdar-led government in the province.

Instead, it could only get pilot projects including ‘Murghi Paal’, ‘Katta Bachao’, ‘Katta Farba’, ‘Miyawaki Forest’, ‘Rainwater Harvesting’, and ‘Kitchen Gardening’ schemes.

Even PTI chairman Imran Khan’s favourite Billion Tree Tsunami project could not go beyond a mere pilot project across the district.

Despite repeated promises by the federal and provincial governments, as many as nine projects pertaining to water supply, road infrastructure and healthcare for the district have been shifted to the current year after excessive delays.

Meanwhile, in the wake of the latest political drama stemming from the dissolution of the Punjab Assembly, projects worth billions of rupees in the Rawalpindi district have come to a grinding halt.

The excessive delay may diminish the possibility of initiating work on these projects until June 30, 2023.

The Kachehri Chowk Flyover Underpasses and Expansion project, the Defence Chowk Flyover Underpasses Signal Free project, the Liaquat Bagh and Murrir Chowk Underpasses Signal Free project and the Flyover Project at Ninth Avenue Chowk on IGP Road connecting the Double Road to Islamabad seem to be closed in the files.

Further, although the foundation stone of the long-delayed Rawalpindi Ring Road project was laid in the previous regime the work on the 38.8km-long route of this project, the contract of which has been awarded to the FWO, has not been started yet. The cost of the project has now reached Rs80 billion.

The long-term Ghazi Barotha Water Supply project, which was meant to provide clean drinking water to the twin cities of Rawalpindi and Islamabad, also could not make any progress.

The RIUT project, which was launched in 2012, to end the renal treatment problems for the citizens, is still limited to the emergency and OPD facilities. The hospital could not be made fully functional.

The fate of the Mother and Child Hospital on Asghar Mall Road also hangs in the balance despite the completion of 90 per cent of the civil work on the project.

It should also be noted that after the Buzdar-led government ended, no progress was made on the water supply project worth Rs700 million on the expressway in Rawalpindi under the Elahi regime.

Hence, severe water crises may arise in these areas in the coming summer season.

Published in The Express Tribune, January 16^th, 2023.