RAWALPINDI: Though the Punjab government has released Rs1 billion for the Kutchery Chowk remodeling, the project worth Rs6.4 billion has not been started as yet due to disinterest of the administration of the garrison city.

A senior official of Rawalpindi Development Authority (RDA) told Dawn that the civic body had failed to give the contract to any firm as yet, though the tendering process had started in September.

He said in August, RDA had invited four government firms for contract including Frontier Works Organisation (FWO), National Logistic Cell (NLC), Railcop Private Limited and National Construction Limited for Kutchery Chowk Remodeling with Rs5.1 billion construction cost and Rs1.3 billion for land acquisition and shifting of services.

However, Railcop Private Limited and National Construction Limited did not participate in the tendering process and NLC did not respond to RDA for this project, leaving sole contractor FWO in the arena.

The senior official of the RDA said the basic reason for delay in awarding the contract was complications involved with the project. He said since the project was in middle of the city it needed proper traffic plan and shifting of utility services like gas, phone and electricity.

However, he said that the commuters wanted the RDA to start the project.

He said if the project was further delayed, its cost would escalate.

Talking about the availability of funds, he said the Punjab government had already released Rs1 billion for the project and it was transferred in the RDA’s accounts.

He said the Punjab government had made it clear that it would release more funds as soon as the work is started.

He said the cost of the project had escalated from Rs4.879 billion to Rs6.422 billion in last two years for two reasons including adding flyover in the project and 25pc increase in the prices construction material. Under the project, flyover will be constructed to cater to traffic coming from Rawat via Grand Trunk Road and upcoming Rawalpindi Ring Road. It will provide commuting facility to 131,500 vehicles per day.

When contacted, RDA Chief Engineer Dr Habibul Haq Randhawa said Kutchery Chowk remodelin gproject would be started as soon as RDA starts work on it.

Published in Dawn, December 10th, 2022