Guideline delay halts Rs3.9b uplift projects

Impacts rollout of annual development schemes

RAWALPINDI:

The Rawalpindi Municipal Corporation (RMC) is waiting for guidelines from the Punjab government regarding the proposals of development schemes for Rs3.9 billion worth of funds allocated for the annual development programme (ADP) and construction and repair (M&R) in the current financial year's budget.

It is not clear whether the PML-N MNAs and MPAs will propose the development schemes or MCR will finalise the development schemes on its own.

The collection of Rs1b dues by RMC in the form of commercialisation fees has also been delayed owing to a delay in the meeting of the District Planning and Design Committee.

RMC had allocated Rs1.98b for ADP and Rs2b for the construction and repair (M&R) in its budget for the current financial year 2024-25, but still, the corporation has not received funds from the Punjab government and guidelines as to how schemes should be finalised for these funds – either RMC as an institution or PML-N lawmakers.

According to sources in RMC, the said funds are not being utilised due to the non-availability of guidelines from the Punjab government.

Meanwhile, due to a long delay in holding the meeting of the District Planning and Design Committee of RMC, the commercialisation fee worth Rs1b from pending commercialisation cases is also pending.

The sources said that they would be able to receive the commercialisation fee only when the commercialisation is approved in the pending cases and the plots of the applicants have the status of being commercialized.