July 14, 2003	Monday	Jumadi-ul-Awwal 13, 1424

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RAWALPINDI, July 13: The government will pay Rs11.9 million to various departments for removing their installations from the site of Kamalabad Chowk extension and remodelling project, official sources told Dawn on Saturday.

The government will pay Rs3 million to Iesco, Rs6 million to SNGPL, Rs1.5 million to PTCL and Rs700,000 each to the Military Engineering Services (MES) and Signals department for removing their installations from the project site, the sources said. These installations were hindering the project work.

Earlier, in June, the Rawalpindi Development Authority chairman, Raja Hamid Nawaz, during a meeting, had informed the representatives of the above departments that the government would pay them to remove their installations.

Therefore, each department should submit its estimates regarding the expenditure for removing installations.

The chairman had informed the representatives of the above departments that as per law, they would remove their installations on their own after getting the estimated amount from the government.

The sources said the SNGPL officials had presented high estimates to Raja Hamid Nawaz. However, the Nazim directed them to revise their ‘irrational’ estimate as it was ‘impossible’ to pay them such exorbitant rates.

Some departments did not want to shift their installations far away from the project site, however, the Tehsil Nazim asked them to do so as the site might need further extension.

Meanwhile, the chairman has asked the executive district officer (EDO) revenue to submit his estimate regarding the acquiring of some commercial as well as non-commercial land for extension purposes within a week.

The Rs55 million Kamalabad extension and remodelling project has been designed by RDA’s director metropolitan planning and traffic engineering, Makeen Shahbaz. The old name of the chowk has been replaced with ‘Kalma Chowk’.

When contacted, Raja Hamid Nawaz told Dawn that about 10 kanals of commercial and non-commercial land had been demarcated for the purpose, while, an official notification had already been dispatched to the communication and works department, Lahore, for releasing the approved funds for the purpose.