GUJRAT: The Board of Revenue (BoR) has been assigned the task to prepare a summary for the creation of four new districts in Punjab after the provincial cabinet, in its last meeting, had given its consent to the idea.

As per the proposal, Wazirabad tehsil of Gujranwala, Murree of Rawalpindi, Talagang of Chakwal and Taunsa tehsil of Dera Ghazi Khan are to be made new districts if the summary gets final approval.

According to sources, the senior member Board of Revenue (SMBR) has asked the officials concerned to prepare a summary in this regard as the exercise also involves creation of some new tehsils as well in the proposed districts beside the creation of administrative and other posts in various departments.

An official privy to this development in the BoR told Dawn that the summary for creation of new districts and tehsils may be submitted to the competent authority within a week as work (to prepare the summary) had been accelerated.

Proposed Wazirabad upgrade to cost Rs14.5bn

In case of a final approval, the proposed Wazirabad district will be included in the newly-created Gujrat division instead of keeping it a part of Gujranwala division.

As per the initial proposal, Daska tehsil of Sialkot was proposed to be made a part of Wazirabad district but the proposal was dropped due to strong opposition from Sialkot’s civil society.

According to a fresh proposal sent by the Gujranwala district administration, Ghakhar Mandi and Alipur Chattha may be upgraded as tehsils to be the part of Wazirabad district.

Wazirabad tehsil and Ghakhar Mandi town have enough infrastructure for the use of administration until the establishment of a separate administrative complex. Two different sites have been proposed on the outskirts of Wazirabad city for the establishment of the district complex.

At least 150 kanals of private land near Veroki village and 200 kanals of the land along the proposed bypass route near Sohdra have also been proposed for the site of the district complex.

Moreover, some 1,186 posts may be created for the departments in proposed Wazirabad district which may cost Rs849 million annually.

According to an official document, a sum of Rs14.534 billion is required for the creation of Wazirabad district.

The Gujranwala administration, it may be added, too had recommended the creation of Wazirabad district on the basis of its being part of country’s golden industrial triangle and trend of urbanisation in the area.

Published in Dawn, October 6th, 2022