Ring Road yet to clear first bump

District administration yet to acquire 5,158 kanals of land for the project

RAWALPINDI:

The Rawalpindi district administration requires a total of 5,158 kanal and 15 marla land for the Ring Road project, with it currently having possession of 10 kilometres (km) of the proposed 38.5-km Rawalpindi Ring Road (RRR) project.

Currently, work is underway in the area between the interchanges at Chak Beli Khan and Khasala Kurd.

Meanwhile, work at the start and end points of the proposed road was yet to start with the government yet to acquire land.

As per last year’s plan, the RRR would originate from National Highway (N-5) at Banth and cross through Chakbeli Road, Adiala Road, Chakri Road, and terminate at Motorway M-2 at Thallian Interchange.

The total cost of the project was Rs33.7 billion, including Rs27 billion for construction, and Rs6.7 billion for land acquisition. The civil works include fencerow (90m), grade-separated interchanges, bridges, underpasses, toll plazas, and weighbridges.

The project, which started in September 2023, has been slated for completion by June next year.

Read Speedy competition of RR project ordered

Additionally, details of the private land required for the project have been included in the Punjab Gazette and section 4 was implemented last year to ban its sale and purchase.

The administration has since backed out from providing land to the industrialists at government rates for setting up industrial units on either side of the RRR. Instead, they have instructed industrialists and traders to purchase the land from the private sector.

This would include industrial units, technical colleges, and IT universities. This has resulted in problems on the matters of building industrial units along the RRR.

As per the land requirements, the project requires 54 kanals and 9 marla in Mauza (village) Kaliam Awan of Tehsil Gujar Khan. Similarly, 53 kanal and 12 marla was required in Chalhari Bhal Khan, and 99 kanal 7 marla in Mozah Banth.

Meanwhile, residents of the villages on the route from GT Road to the motorway whose land was expected to be required for the project expressed concern about the price they would be paid for the land. There were reports that the government would acquire the land at old rates, even though the prices had increased manifold over the past year.

Read further Official’s role in ring road challenged

The Rawalpindi Development Authority (RDA) land branch and district land revenue department had started the survey of the area.

An RDA official had said at the time that the district price assessment committee would fix the price of land. However, in a meeting with Thalian residents, Rawalpindi Commissioner Liaqat Ali Chatha assured them that the government would acquire their land at commercial rates.

The land requirements for the RRR includes 174 kanal and 19 marla in Hardo Mozah, 41 kanal and two marla land in Chamba Papin, 75 kanal and 5 marlas in Mehar Bakhsh, 161 kanal and 18 marla in Qutoob Faruzal, 59 kanal and 12 marla from Bhagwal Dargal, and 68 kanal and 18 marla in Losar.

The project will also see land acquisition in Kaliam Mughal, Taimur Ratial, Bisali, Nauthia Banin, Dhaki Kaliyan, Jhata Hatial, Meera Mohra, Khengar Kalan, Gul Mir Baz, and Bhattian Noor Din.

Published in The Express Tribune, November 18^th, 2023.