LAHORE: In partnership with a consortium of various private companies and business ventures, Lahore division administration has launched a project to renovate all the underpasses in the provincial capital.

Under the ‘Sohna Lahore’ project, all underpasses, especially those named after prominent figures around 10 years ago, will be renovated and decorated with pictures and messages reflecting services rendered by these personalities.

The project will be completed in two phases and the underpasses situated on the Canal Road will be renovated in the first phase.

“It is a matter of great pleasure and honour for us to inaugurate the renovation work at Chaudhry Rehmat Ali (Doctors’ Hospital) underpass on the Canal Road under Sohna Lahore programme,” Lahore Commissioner retired Capt Muhammad Usman said while speaking to the officials while inaugurating the renovation work.

“We will also renovate all underpasses on the Canal Road and other parts of the city,” the commissioner, who was accompanied by the Lahore deputy commissioner (DC) and representatives of the private companies, said. “This way, we will not only pay tributes to these personalities, but also disseminate their teachings,”he added.

Around 10 years ago, the Lahore City District Government led by the then district coordination officer Noor Ul Amin Mengal, had got approved names of several underpasses, roads, intersections and interchanges following recommendations of a committee headed by retired Justice Khalil Ur Rehman Ramday under the ‘Dilkash Lahore Project’.

Under the project, Shadman’s Fawara Chowk was named after freedom hero Bhagat Singh and all the Canal Road underpasses and another on the GT Road were dedicated to various figures of the region. The underpasses including Doctors’ Hospital, Jinnah Hospital, New Campus, Muslim Town, Ferozepur Road, FC College, Jail Road, The Mall Road, Dharampura, Mughalpura, Harbanspura, Canal Road and Barki Road (GT Road) were respectively named after Chaudhry Rehmat Ali, Chaakar-e-Azam Rind, Khushhal Khan Khattak, Shah Abdul Latif Bhitai, Khan Liaqat Ali Khan, Justice A R Cornelius, Waris Shah, Bulleh Shah, Hussain Shaheed Suharwardi, Habba Khatoon, Jogindar Lal Mandal and Colnel Mirza Hassan Khan Gilgati. The committee had also approved naming the under-construction Model Town underpass after poet Faiz Ahmad Faiz. It approved naming of Niazi, Ravi, Mahmood Booti and Babu Sabu Interchanges after Ikramullah Niazi, Ustad Daman, Nusrta Fateh Ali Khan and Sadequain, respectively.

Similarly, the committee had allowed naming Saggian bridge after Justice A R Kayani, Akbar Chowk (Township) after Jalaluddin Akbar, 7-up Chowk (Gulberg) after Waheed Murad, Fawara Chowk (Shadman) after Bhagat Singh, Hamdard Chowk after Hakeem Muhammad Saeed, Cooperative Chowk after Allama Rasheed Ahmad Turabi, Fort Road after Maualana Abdul Qadir Azad, Istanbul Chowk after Pitras Bukhari and Gaddafi Stadium Road (Main Gate to Liberty) after Hafeez Kardad.

However, the decision to name Fawar Chowk (Shadman) after Bhagat Singh was later withdrawn following protests by some religious organisations. Similarly, the name of Waris Mir underpass was also changed to Kashmir underpass a couple of years ago.

A consortium of private companies is partnering with the administration for the project.

“It is a consortium of five [private] companies, including the two engaged in paint manufacturing business. All the expenses being incurred on the renovation are being borne by the consortium, while the government has just provided them the places to renovate,” an official source in the Punjab government told Dawn on Sunday.

He said some new spots have also been named after various personalities in recent years.

A new underpass between Dharmpura and Mughalpura underpasses built around 4-5 years back was named as Shingai underpass. “This underpass after renovation will reflect the strong ties between Pakistan and China,” the official added.

LCCI: The Lahore Chamber of Commerce and Industry has congratulated Hamza Shahbaz on assuming the Punjab chief minister’s office.

In a statement, the LCCI president Mian Nauman Kabir, senior vice president Mian Rehman Aziz Chan and vice president Haris Ateeq expressed the hope that the new chief minister would focus on economic issues with a new vigor and live up to the expectations of the people of Punjab by achieving economic goals.

They assured Mr Hamza of full support of the LCCI in his government’s efforts aimed at economic well-being of the province. The LCCI office-bearers drew the chief minister’s attention to some issues that must be resolved at the earliest, including the high water tariff ((Rs.100,000 for 1 cusec and Rs50,000 for ½ cusec) being charged by the Lahore Water and Sanitation Agency (Wasa) from industrial and commercial users, as compared to rates in other cities of Punjab, including Faisalabad and Multan etc.

Published in Dawn, May 2nd, 2022