RAWALPINDI: The Punjab government has asked the City District Government Rawalpindi (CDGR) to construct gates at the the entry points of the garrison city.

A senior official of the CDGR told Dawn on the condition of anonymity that the provincial government had released Rs2.5 million in this regard.

He said two permanent entry gates would be constructed at Tarnol and Rawat.

“After sit-ins and rallies, the provincial government decided to construct gates to check the entry of protesters in the city,” he said.

He said the work on the project would start after Chelum of Hazrat Imam Hussain. He said the police and CDGR officials would be deployed on the gates or check post in case the government wanted to stop any movement towards the city.

Meanwhile, the Punjab government has asked the City District Government Rawalpindi (CDGR) and Rawalpindi Development Authority (RDA) to install Jersey Barriers around Benazir Bhutto International Airport for the security purposes at the cost of Rs3.8 million.

The CDGR and RDA will spend the money from the development funds allocated for the development schemes in different areas. Total 50 jersey barriers will be installed around the airport premises and RDA will pay Rs1.8 million for 25 jersey barriers and the CDGR will also pay the same amount for remaining barriers.

An senior official of the CDGR told Dawn that the airport management and security officials requested the provincial government to install the jersey barriers around the airport as there was a security threat.

He said the provincial government sent their request to Commissioner Rawalpindi Zahid Saeed for taking action and asked to install the jersey barriers and the local administration will bear the expenditures.

“The Punjab Home Department was responsible for such activities and schemes related to security issues. In September 2013, the CDGR installed Jersey barriers around Benazir Bhutto Airport worth Rs50 million and Punjab government release the money in March 2014 which disturbed the budget,” he said.

He said the total budget of the district was Rs10 billion and all the money spent on the establishment’s salaries and government offices and it allocated Rs257 million for the development schemes.

Published in Dawn, November 27th, 2014