RCB vows funding boost for uplift projects

Plans to address key infrastructure issues despite financial challenges

RAWALPINDI:

The Rawalpindi Cantonment Board (RCB) has recently assured its elected representatives/members that the funds for multiple development projects for the dwellers of the Cantonment area and Saddar's commercial area will be enhanced subject to the availability of resources.

The four-year term of the RCB's elected public representatives/members will be completed in December 2025. The participants of the Board's meeting demanded funds for Rs200 million worth of projects of water supply, sewerage and street lights in residential areas of 10 wards of Cantt and Rs2 billion worth of projects of underground cabling and beautification of commercial area Saddar Bazaar.

Though the elected members of the RCB will complete their term in December next year like other cantonments in the country, however, densely populated areas still face problems with drinking water, sewage systems, dilapidated roads and streets, including missing or damaged street lights.

In the Board's last meeting, instructions were issued to complete the ongoing development schemes worth Rs2m per ward at the discretion of the elected members.

The members took the stand that development funds should be released in proportion to the problems faced in their wards. Authorities informed the members that the development funds would be increased gradually.

Presently, the RCB is facing the burden of non-developmental expenditure in the form of heavy electricity bills, utility services, arrears of contractors and salaries of employees.

Compared to this, despite the abundant revenue recovery, there is a situation of insufficient resources for development schemes due to continuously increasing non-developmental expenses.

On the other hand, with the funding of the Ministry of Defence (MoD) and the federal and provincial governments, work is in progress in phases on the Rs2b project of the beautification of the underground cabling and commercial area beautification in bazaars of Rawalpindi Saddar.

The oldest commercial area of Rawalpindi will turn into a transformed and beautiful place.

The RCB is trying to solve the problems of drinking water, sewerage, street and road repairs and street lights in the densely populated areas of the Cantt with its own resources

RCB Spokesperson Rashid Saqib said that despite its limited resources, the Board is trying its best to solve the problems faced by the common citizens. Problems directly identified by public representatives or citizens are addressed on a priority basis, he said, adding Cantonment Executive Officer Syed Ali Irfan Rizvi has standing instructions that the problems faced by the citizens should be solved on a priority basis.

The underground cabling and beautification project will increase business activities in the Saddar's commercial area, impacting the economy on positive note, the spokesperson added.