RAWALPINDI: In the last quarter of fiscal year 2021-22, Rawalpindi Cantonment Board (RCB) launched schemes worth Rs260 million for fixing roads, water supply and street lights. After taking notice of the condition of roads in different parts of cantonment especially those which had been ignored in past years, RCB Cantonment Executive Officer Imran Gulzar asked the civic body to pay attention towards middle class residential localities.
Under the plan, Rs40 million was to be spent on Dhoke Mustaqeem Road, Rs10 million on Attaul Haq Road, Rs3 million on Abid Majeed Road, Rs7 million on Convoy Road, Rs3 million on Range Road and remaining Rs27 million was to be spent on construction of streets and drains in Westridge and its adjoining areas.
To improve the water supply system in different parts of cantonment, Rs120 million will be spent so that people do not face problems related to water. Under the plan, six water filtration plants will be installed in different areas and four underground water tanks will be constructed to store more than 500,000 gallons of water.
Furthermore, for the improvement of lightening system in inner town, the RCB will spend Rs40 million. A senior official of the civic body said there were a number of streets in Rawalpindi cantonment where lampposts have been without lights, adding that mostly rupees would be spent in and around Westridge from Bakery Chowk to Allahabad.
Apart from this, RCB has introduced water metres for commercial consumers like car service station, hotels, commercial plazas and so on.
On the other hand, a senior official said that 90 percent work on uplift schemes was launched with the civic body’s own resources while Rs50 million for roads was launched with funds received from the federal government.
He said RCB relied on funding from the federal government as its income was less and dependent on property tax on commercial and domestic units and different fees on services.
Mr Gulzar said development work would be completed within the stipulated time frame and officials concerned must ensure that quality of work was good, otherwise, strict action would be taken against them.
He said the basic aim of development was to provide better civic facilities to residents of cantonment areas, adding that all civic body officials had been asked to check construction material so that quality of roads, streets and underground water tanks could be ensured.
Published in Dawn, April 8th, 2022
