RAWALPINDI: Special Assistant to Punjab Chief Minister on Information Dr Firdous Ashiq Awan on Thursday said 38-km-long Rawalpindi Ring Road project from G.T. Road to Thulian near Motorway had been approved and the work on this important project will be started by August.

She said that 67 audit paras of irregularities detected in the previous plan of the project by audit department and the inquiry of anti-corruption was in the last stages, and once completed would be shared with public.

She was addressing a press conference at Rawalpindi Development Authority (RDA) offices.

RDA Chairman Tariq Murtaza, Vice Chairman Haroon Hashmi and RDA Director General Nadeem Ahmed Abro were also present on the occasion.

She said the Punjab government had given approval to new PC-I of Rawalpindi Ring Road project as it was meant to lessen the traffic rush on the city roads.

She said that the Punjab and federal governments were committed to public and for this purpose PTI was moving towards institutional reforms to make them stronger because only powerful institutions can achieve excellence in quality public service delivery.

Dr Firdous said that crackdown had been carried out on illegal stone crushing in Hasanabdal. The activity is causing environmental problems.

Dr Firdous Ashiq Awan said RDA had been taken out of the deficit and the institution saved Rs1 billion in two years.

She said now RDA was moving towards the establishment of housing societies for citizens.

She said that 62 housing societies had been approved, 60 were in the process of being approved and 264 were declared illegal by the RDA.

She said the RDA had registered 112 FIRs against illegal housing societies, besides issuing 307 legal notices to them and sealing 135 offices.

She said that most of the victims of fake societieswere overseas Pakistanis who had been given a mechanism to avoid fraud.

They can ascertain legal and approved housing societies from the data RDA has uploaded on its website, she said.

Dr Awan said that Pakistan Electronic Media Regulatory Authority was informed about the details of illegal housing societies so that such societies could not advertise themselves.

She said RDA had approved 1,300 maps in a year.

She said that for the first time in the history of the country, three underpasses are being constructed at Ammar Chowk, Katchery Chowk and Defense Chowk.

Dr Firdous Ashiq Awan said that action was being taken against corrupt officials. She said the bomb blast in Lahore should not be linked to any speculation.

She said the Punjab Chief Minister had announced Rs100,000 for minor injuries, Rs500,000 for serious injuries and Rs1 million for those who died in the blast.

Published in Dawn, June 25th, 2021