SIALKOT, Feb 17: The Punjab government has allocated a grant of Rs1.20 billion for converting Sialkot-Daska-Gujranwala Road into a dual carriageway. District nazim Akmal Cheema told newsmen here on Friday the road would be widened, carpeted and converted into a dual carriageway for providing better communication facilities to people.

He said the district government had chalked out a ‘district roads network for constructing, paving, carpeting and widening all main roads in Sialkot, Daska, Sambrial and Pasrur tehsils on a priority basis. The provincial and district governments had also approved a plan for the development of roads infrastructure.

He said the Punjab government had allocated a grant of Rs172.80 million for the construction and conversion of the link road from Sambrial bypass to the airport terminal and released a grant of Rs186.699 million for timely completion of a bridge over River Tavi near Saidpur-Bajwat Pattan.

The nazim said work on Sialkot-Sambrial-Wazirabad Main Road was under way with a cost of Rs826.74 million, and this project would be completed in June 2006. Sialkot-Wazirabad Road would also be widened and improved at a cost of Rs107.87 million.

He said widening and improvement of Sialkot-Pasrur Road would be completed with a total cost of Rs125.162 million. He said Sialkot-Kingra Road and Randheer Mor-Maddokey Road would be widened and improved with an estimated cost of Rs109.969 million and Rs19.675 million, respectively. A road would also be constructed in the bordering rural areas from Kingra village to Zafarwal, besides establishing a bridge over Nullah Dek by spending Rs112.71 million.

Mr Cheema said the government was making efforts for developing the roads’ infrastructure in the remote areas for raising the living standard of people through ensuring the provision of basic facilities at their doorsteps, besides opening new vistas of socio-economic development in rural and urban areas.