ISLAMABAD: The National Highway Authority (NHA) is all set to start the process of dualisation of Rawalpindi-Kahuta Road and Capital Development Authority (CDA) has been asked for a no-objection certificate (NOC) so work could begin on package-I of the project.

The NHA will work on dualisation of the 28km road from Kaakpul to Kahuta in two packages. NHA officials said package-I consisted of 16.5km, including Sihala Railway Pass, Sihala bypass and Kahuta bypass.

Recently, the NHA requested the CDA for an NOC for land acquisition for the first package as alignment of the road in this section crossed through the jurisdiction of Islamabad.

CDA officials Dawn spoke to said the civic agency apparently had no issue in giving a go-ahead to the NHA as the 150 feet wide right of way is already available for dualisation of the road.

They said a small portion of the road may be needed to be acquired. However, they said Sihala bypass, apparently seems to be crossing through the CDA’s scheme and for this, the NHA should be asked to submit the bypass design.

CDA asked to provide NOC for land acquisition

The officials said the CDA had also requested the NHA for provision of design of the project, adding that if any CDA infrastructure that fell in the right of way was damaged, the NHA would be asked to repair it. “Nothing is finalised yet; our board will discuss this issue in detail in the upcoming meeting, likely to be held on Tuesday (today) for issuing of the NOC and land acquisition for this project,” said a CDA deputy director.

The said project was launched in 2018 when the prime minister was Shahid Khaqaan. The NHA had also called tenders at that time, but later on, when the PTI came into power, the project was almost shelved. However, now, the PML-N government has once again put their focus on this project and funds were also allocated in the Public Sector Development Programme of this fiscal year 2022-23.

Earlier, the executive committee of the National Economic Council had approved this project in March 2018 with total cost of the project estimated to be at Rs13,012 million. For the current fiscal year, the federal government allocated Rs1,500 million for the project. It is said that NHA had engaged the previous contractor, working on package II.

Whereas, for package-I, a new contractor will be hired and the entire project after its start will be completed in 14 months. The existing two-lane road is the main artery between Rawalpindi and Kahuta and it is also being used for residents of Azad Kashmir as it connects with Azad Pattan road. Its dualisation had been pending for a long time.

Published in Dawn, January 17th, 2023