RAWALPINDI: Work on the three main projects of Kutchery Chowk remodeling, Defence Chowk and the signal-free road from Katchery Chowk to the motorway is unlikely to start in the current fiscal year due to lack of interest on part of the local administration.

The Punjab government approved the Kutchery Chowk remodelling project worth Rs6.4 billion and release Rs1 billion to the Rawalpindi Development Authority (RDA). But the civic body failed to start the project due to unavailability of a traffic management plan and lack of interest on part of the district administration.

It also approved the Defence Chowk project worth Rs2.2 billion in 2021. However, work on the project has not been started yet due to slow work on the Soan River bridge by the National Highway Authority (NHA).

The third project was to make The Mall and Peshawar Road signal-free from Kutchery Chowk to the Motorway Chowk. Earlier, the project was included in the Punjab Annual Development Programme but no work has been started on it.

Govt asks RDA to utilise Rs1bn released for Kutchery Chowk or return it, says official

A proposal has been drafted to make the Rawalpindi portion of Peshawar Road - from Koral Chowk to Motorway Chowk - signal-free and efforts are being made to include this project in the Annual Development Programme 2023-24.

The cost of the project has been estimated at Rs10 billion and the construction of one flyover and four underpasses is included in it. The four underpasses will be established at GPO Chowk, GHQ Chowk, Qasim Market and Military Hospital Chowk.

Sources said the master plan and design of the project had been prepared and upon completion travel time between Koral Chowk and Motorway Chowk would decrease from the current one hour to 10 minutes.

“For the revised PC-I, the commissioner has called a meeting of the administration, including the RDA, Rawalpindi Cantonment Board and the district administration next week,” an official said.

He said the PC-1 had been submitted to the chairman of the Planning and Development Board, Lahore.

Peshawar Road is a major artery of the city and a large number of people commute on it daily which causes traffic congestion.

On the other hand, a senior official of the RDA told Dawn that the government had asked the civic agency to utilise the Rs1 billion released for Kutchery Chowk or return it so it would be spent on other projects in the province.

He said the civic body did not demand funds for Defence Chowk as the administration was not yet ready to launch the project. He said there was a dire need to launch the projects as soon as possible so the traffic problems in the garrison city will be solved.

When contacted, RDA spokesman Mohammad Irfan said the RDA was working on the projects and would launch them soon.

Published in Dawn, january 2th, 2023