LAHORE: The governing body of the Lahore Development Authority (LDA) approved on Tuesday Rs33.54 billion annual budget of the LDA and its subordinate agencies — Water and Sanitation Agency (Wasa) and the Traffic Engineering and Transport Planning Agency (Tepa) -- for the fiscal year 2014-15. Of the budget, Rs22 billion will be spent on development works.

An amount of Rs1.93 billion will be spent on development works in housing schemes while Rs1.67 billion will be incurred on running development schemes. A sum of Rs4.16 billion has been allocated for new projects. The construction of various roads will cost Rs700 million. Improvement and rehabilitation of the southern bypass from Thokar Niaz Beg to Ameer Chowk will cost Rs140 million. Signal-free corridors on Jail Road, The Mall and Gulberg Main Boulevard will be executed at Rs1.5 billion. The construction of pedestrian bridges along the signal free corridors will cost Rs150 million. Up to Rs150 million will be spent on two-lane road from Ferozepur Road to Jinnah Flyover along Railway Track.

The LDA earmarked Rs200 million for priority works, Rs1.16 billion for schemes under public-private partnership, Rs500 million as LDA’s share for construction of Hussain Chowk Flyover, Rs360 million for Defence Road Flyover, Rs100 million for Sharaqpur Bypass, Rs100 million for Kalashah Kaku Expressway, Rs100 million for Southern Bypass, Rs1.38 billion for schemes, Rs1.22 billion for dualisation of the road from LOS to Multan Road and Rs240 million for the restoration of LDA Plaza.

LDA’s subsidiary Tepa will have Rs6.16 billion at its disposal, of which Rs5.43 billion will be spent on expenditures. A road connecting Shahpur Kanjra with Raiwind Road and Khayaban-i-Jinnah will be built at Rs1.22 billion and a bypass connecting Ferozepur Road with Depalpur Road will cost Rs890 million. The construction of Kasur Sports Complex will cost Rs270 million and a hockey stadium in Sheikhupura at Nankana Sahib Rs147 million each. Up to Rs6.3 million will be spent on other ongoing projects.

Wasa expects Rs14.05 billion in the financial year 2014-15. The schemes to be carried out included: the replacement of outlived water supply lines in various localities of the city at the cost of Rs8oo million; the installation of 13 tubewells at Rs180 million; the installation of 100 water filtration plants at Rs440 million; the improvement of water supply system in Johar Town and Tajpura through zoning; the installation of filtration plants and 100 per cent metering at the cost Rs1.6 billion; the construction of RCC sewer from Shaukat Khanum Hospital Chowk to Sattu Katla Drain at Rs800 million, sewer lines, drains and a disposal station for Niaz Baig drainage (UC-118) at Rs1.5 billion.

The budget meeting of the governing body was presided over by LDA Vice-Chairman Khwaja Ahmad Hassan and attended by Lahore Commissioner Rashid Mehmood Langrial, LDA Director General Ahad Khan Cheema, Wasa Managing Director Chaudhry Naseer Ahmad, MPAs Bao Muhammad Akhtar from Lahore, Arif Khan Sandheela from Sheikhupura and Rana Muhammad Arshad from Nankana Sahib.

WARNING: District Coordination Officer retired Captain Muhammad Usman on Tuesday visited Mughalpura Dry Port and issued final warning to its administration for making cleanliness arrangements under standard operating procedure of the dengue eradication.

Published in Dawn, September 17th , 2014