LAHORE: The Public-Private Partnership Policy and Monitoring Board on Friday approved inception of seven projects costing around Rs75 billion in public-private partnership mode.

The meeting chaired by Chief Minister Usman Buzdar was briefed on progress made on the projects by PPP policy and monitoring board secretary Dr Farrukh Naveed.

The meeting was told that repair and maintenance of Kharian-Dinga Road and Muridke-Narowal Road’s restoration work would be done in PPP mode. Similarly, Gujranwala-Pasrur Road would be dualised from Gujranwala Eastern Bypass to Sialkot-Lahore Motorway (Pasrur Interchange).

The Multan Ring Road project and Naya Pakistan Housing Development Plan in Faisalabad would be executed through public-private partnership mode. The BoR land on Jail Road would also be utilised under a public-private partnership.

The meeting approved to cancel the RFP and bidding process of the Rawalpindi Ring Road project and allowed revised proposals for the Multan-Vehari dual road project. The meeting excluded Gujrat-Jalalpur Jattan Road from PPP mode for its inclusion in the public sector development program (PSDP). The proposals regarding the Faisalabad-Chiniot-Sargodha dual road project were approved along with the approval of the revised proposal of the water meters’ installation project in Lahore. The construction of three parking plazas in Rawalpindi were also approved by the meeting.

The CM directed to expedite work on PPP mode projects for their completion according to the timelines. He stressed that timeline of every stage of the project should be determined.

Housing minister Mian Mahmoodur Rasheed, C&W Minister Sardar Asif Nakai, Economic Affairs Adviser Dr Salman Shah, SACM Dr Firdous Ashiq Awan, Chief Secretary, SMBR, Chairman P&D, administrative secretaries, CEO Public-Private Partnership Authority Amjad Ali Awan, member PPP and planning & development and others attended the meeting.

Published in Dawn, May 1st, 2021