Moribund uplift projects resurrected

From road construction to sewerage systems 478 schemes are back on track

RAWALPINDI:

Work on development schemes has kicked off in Rawalpindi district after Punjab’s caretaker government restored the annual development programme (ADP) and district development funds (DDF) after the February 8 general elections.

The work on 478 old and new developmental schemes worth Rs1.35 billion for Metropolitan Corporation and Rs400 million for District Council was halted before the polls.

Of 478, there are 219 old development schemes. Authorities are in the process of issuing fresh tenders for 259 new development schemes.

Sources told The Express Tribune that the estimated cost of all projects has increased by approximately Rs300 million despite the availability of funds from the last three months.

The prices of cement, sand, gravel, brick, wood and tiles have witnessed a visible increase, they added.

The development schemes include the construction of roads and street drains, boundary walls of cemeteries, funeral homes, sewerage, and installation of new tube wells and water filtration plants in 78 union councils of the Metropolitan Corporation.

Read IESCO starts process for infrastructure uplift

With the release of state funds, payment of [pending] bills to government contractors has also started, while contractors have been asked to submit their bills against the projects which have been completed or near to completion.

Contractors Association’s office-bearer Haji Abdul Qadoos has welcomed the payment of dues after a long time.

Rawalpindi faces a critical juncture with five major projects in road infrastructure and healthcare lingering incomplete.

The delay in these projects, vital for public welfare, not only incurs escalating costs but also exacerbates the hardships faced by the community.

Among the stalled initiatives, the Leh Expressway and Flood Channel and Kachehri Chowk flyover projects have yet to commence, while the Mother and Child Hospital and Rawalpindi Ring Road projects are anticipated to conclude in the upcoming year. Additionally, the Rawalpindi Institute of Urology and Kidney Transplantation (RIUT) achieved partial functionality, with the kidney transplant facility remaining inactive.

Published in The Express Tribune, February 16^th, 2024.