October 10, 2003	Friday	Sha’aban 13, 1424

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RAWALPINDI, Oct 9: The Rawalpindi Development Authority (RDA) and the Tehsil Municipal Administration (TMA) have so far failed to achieve the targets set for them by the provincial and district governments authorities for carrying out the beautification plan for the city, official sources said on Thursday.

A number of meetings had been organized jointly by the provincial and district governments in which some important decisions were taken in this regard.

In one of the meetings held on July 28, presided over by Sardar Azam Rashid, the chairman of the task force on the beautification of big cities of Punjab, the officials of the RDA planning and traffic engineering sections were directed to prepare a plan for remodelling of all the bus terminals of the city.

They were asked to carry out the pilot project of conducting digital mapping of Aaria Muhallah and prepare a digital planning of the whole city besides minimising the intensity of traffic jams on Murree Road, said the sources.

The officials were also asked to speed up their campaign against encroachers and remove illegal signboards and those which were posing threats to the lives of the citizens.

However, the RDA and the TMA have not yet taken any concrete steps in this regard, they said.

District Nazim Tariq Kiani had set a two-day deadline for the RDA officials to remodel the bus terminals. But despite the passage of two months, the officials have not even visited any terminal nor held any talks with the stakeholders.

Similarly, RDA officials are yet to take any step in connection with the digital planning and traffic problems on Murree Road.

An RDA official told Dawn that they lacked funds and extra staff to remodel the bus terminals. Besides, he added, the RDA would get no financial benefits by carrying out the work.