GUJRAT: With a view to avoiding the imposition of toll and getting ‘political mileage’, PML-Q MNA Chaudhry Hussain Elahi has opted for the dualisation of 15-km Gujrat-Jalalpur Jattan Road in two phases from the federal funds instead of Punjab government’s approval of executing the project as a public-private partnership (PPP) mode.

Speaking to a gathering of his supporters and area people after laying the foundation stone for construction work on Wednesday, the lawmaker said he had managed Rs500 million from the funds allocated for execution of uplift work in the constituencies of party legislators from federal government’s budget.

He said in phase-I, a 5-km portion starting from Jalalpur Jattan City to Adh Wali Khoi Stop would cost Rs500m and the remaining stretch up to Gujrat would be completed with funds in the next fiscal year.

Punjab Chief Minister Usman Buzdar had tweeted last week that dualisation of Gujrat-Jalalpur Jattan Road would be completed at the cost of Rs2 billion on PPP mode as a private company would be hired for investment.

However, rejecting the proposal, the MNA said execution of the project on PPP mode would mean that there would be an imposition of toll on the users of that route which was not acceptable to him keeping in view the wishes of the people of his constituency.

Opts for federal allocation ‘to avoid toll imposition’

“That is why I have opted for getting the project completed from the federal government’s fund allocated for my party,” he said.

An engineer of Pakistan Public Works Department (PakPWD) which operates under federal government’s housing and works department, also briefed the MNA and other participants [in the foundation stone laying ceremony] about the scheme which would be completed within six months.

The portfolio of housing ministry is being held by Tariq Basheer Cheema, the lone minister of the PML-Q in the federal cabinet.

The scheme has been of importance in terms of social, economic and educational uplift of Gujrat and Jalalpur Jattan, the two major urban centres of the district, as well as rural areas located along the route.

It is the main route to connect Gujrat with Sialkot international airport and Sialkot-Lahore motorway through Shahbazpur bridge over the Chenab.

The Hafiz Hayat campus of the University of Gujrat (UoG), Nawaz Sharif Medical College (NSMC) and Jinnah Public School (JPS) are also located 2-km away from this road.

Published in Dawn, November 20th, 2020