RAWALPINDI: After taking a U-turn on allocation of funds to lawmakers for development schemes, the PTI-led Punjab government has asked the district administration to finalise projects so that funds could be released.

The provincial government has allocated Rs100 million for each constituency of the Punjab Assembly from where the ruling party has won a seat.

PTI Chairman Imran Khan had always been against allocation of development funds to members of parliament saying his government would start development works through local governments.

But the PTI changed its stance on the pressure of party leaders who wanted to launch development works in their constituencies.

In this regard, a meeting of the District Development Committee was held at the deputy commissioner office on Saturday.

The meeting was jointly chaired by Federal Minister for Petroleum and Natural Resources Ghulam Sarwar Khan and Deputy Commissioner Chaudhry Mohammad Ali Randhawa.

MNA Sheikh Rashid Shafique, MPAs Raja Saghir, Ammar Siddique, Chaudhry Adnan, Additional District Collector (Revenue) Zaigham Nawaz, Assistant Commissioners Saddar and Murree Ahmed Hassan Ranjha and Imtiaz Khichi, Sub-Registrar Iqbal Sanghara and officials from different departments attended the meeting.

The meeting was informed that the Punjab government would establish three universities in Rawalpindi and start work on Daducha and Chahan dams.

The government is also planning to build small and big dams on all seasonal nullahs to overcome water shortage in the Rawalpindi city and cantonment areas.

In order to provide adequate medical facilities to the needy people, the government would complete construction work on the Rawalpindi Institute of Urology.

The meeting gave approval to a number of projects which would be started soon after release of funds.

The deputy commissioner told the meeting that schemes worth Rs100 million had been allocated for each constituency of the district.

He said the district administration would ensure the quality of work and all the assistant commissioners had been asked to monitor the projects. He said a committee would review the construction works.

Talking to newsmen after the meeting, Ghulam Sarwar Khan said: “We have decided to set up Potohar University in Gujar Khan, Gandhara University in Taxila and University of Technology at Rakh Dhamial.”He said people in the twin cities had been facing an acute water shortage for which the government had decided to build Daducha, Chahan and other small and big dams.

The minister said all development projects were discussed at the meeting.

“The PTI government is going to present the budget in June and it has been decided to take schemes from MPAs and MNAs regarding their constituencies.”

He said the government was also taking steps to execute the Ring Road and Leh Expressway projects to lessen burden of traffic in the city.

He, however, refused to comment on the occupation of state land by housing societies near Daducha Dam.

On the other hand, MNA Sheikh Rashid Shafique said the government had asked MPs to present development schemes to the DC office so that funds could be allocated for them.“It will be hard and impossible task for the MPs to table schemes with DC one by one as this process is much timing consuming,” he said.

“No way, nobody can execute the project of Leh Expressway without help of Sheikh Rashid Ahmed as it is his brainchild,” he said when asked if the PTI wanted to sideline Mr Rashid in the implementation of the mega project.

Published in Dawn, March 10th, 2019