Work on vital stalled projects in the offing

Top official says NOCs will be issued in two weeks to start work on commercial plazas, housing societies

RAWALPINDI:

The Rawalpindi district will soon witness the start of work on all vital but stalled projects, which will create employment opportunities.

Rawalpindi Commissioner Liaquat Ali Chattha said that concrete steps were being taken to speed up business activities in Rawalpindi.

“No objection certificates will be issued in two weeks to stalled projects of petrol pumps, plazas, housing societies,” the commissioner said while addressing a media briefing on Sunday.

“Special desks will be established for issuance of the NOCs in Deputy Commissioner, Metropolitan and Municipal Corporation offices,” he added.

A control room had been set up in the Commissioner's office for the issuance of NOCs, he informed. The process of issuance of NOCs was being accelerated to create maximum employment opportunities, he said.

New cemetery established

On this occasion, the Rawalpindi commissioner said graveyards were a long-standing problem in the district which has been resolved.

“A new cemetery was made functional on 1,000 kanals of land in Rawalpindi, he said and added that a ready-made grave will be available for Rs5,000 with free-of-charge ambulance and hearse service,” he said.

Chattha said a graveyard for the Christian community was established on 200 kanals of land while Hindus would also be provided with the facility of a crematorium after their exact population was determined in the census.

Anti-encroachment drive

Regarding the ongoing anti-encroachment campaign, the commissioner said it was underway in eight markets of the corporation adding, significant targets had been achieved under the anti-encroachment operation during one month.

“After Eidul Fitr, a grand anti-encroachment operation would be launched in eight more bazaars of the city,” he said. “The anti-encroachment operation was launched with the support of the business community,” he added.

Chattha further informed that 38 plazas got the approval for the basement parking but later, shops and warehouses were set up in the basements.

“Notices had been issued to the plazas that violated the rules. FIRs would also be lodged against the rules violators and the plazas would also be sealed,” he warned.

Free flour distribution

The commissioner informed that in the Rawalpindi Division, the target of flour distribution was 3.6 million bags while 3.3 million had been distributed till Saturday. A district administration spokesperson informed that 11 mega centres were set up in Rawalpindi district to provide free flour to the citizens. Over 316,000 families had been provided relief under the scheme, he added.

He said that the target was set for the distribution of free flour among more than 483,000 families, adding, over 1.4 million bags of flour would be distributed in the Rawalpindi district.

He said that all-out efforts were made to ensure the smooth distribution of free flour bags among the poor and deserving citizens and no untoward incident was reported in Rawalpindi.

He said efforts were being made to provide relief to the people and the administration under this initiative taken by the Punjab government was supplying flour to poor and deserving citizens.

The spokesperson said that the administration on the directives of the Punjab government had set up 11 mega points to supply free flour to poor and deserving people.

Five mega points were set up in Rawalpindi while one each was established at the tehsil level. Four desks were set up at each mega point, two for men and two for women. Over 232 trucking points were also established in the Rawalpindi district particularly for Ramadan to facilitate the citizens, he said.

With additional input from the APP

 

Published in The Express Tribune, April 17^th, 2023.