RAWALPINDI: The caretaker Punjab government has sought permission from the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) to launch three projects worth Rs7.050 billion in the garrison city on an emergency basis before the general elections scheduled to be held on February 8.

A senior official of the district administration confirmed to Dawn that the government had written a letter to the ECP. He said the local administration had prepared separate PC-I of the three projects and sent them to the Planning and Development Department for approval, but the latter asked the caretaker government to get permission from the ECP.

A notification issued by the ECP last month states, “Not to announce/execute any kind of development schemes in Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa provinces except those which are ongoing and approved before the issuance of this notification. Moreover, the provincial governments and local governments of Punjab and KP shall not issue tenders of such schemes till culmination of General Elections of both Assemblies.”

According to the senior official, the Communication and Works Department had stated that the chief engineer highways (north)had forwarded a reference to the government requesting to take permission from the ECP for a supplementary scheme(not included in the Annual Development Programme) of the road sector.

The first scheme is construction and widening of Kutcheri Chowk worth Rs1.450 billion in Chaklala Cantonment. A number of civil and military offices are situated in the locality, therefore, a scheme for construction and widening of the road has been proposed by Punjab Highways Department.

ECP’s permission sought to launch three road projects in Rawalpindi

Under the second scheme, three underpasses will be constructed on Adiala Road worth Rs2.850 billion. It is also located in Chaklala Cantonment and the area is thickly populated where traffic congestion has become a routine phenomenon.

The third scheme is construction of a flyover at Ammar Chowk worth Rs2.750 billion. For this scheme, the caretaker government claimed that the area is very thickly populated and therefore traffic load would be managed through a flyover only.

When contacted, Commissioner Liaquat Ali Chatha confirmed that special permission to launch the new projects had been sought from the ECP as there was a dire need to start the process. He said traffic was the main problem in the garrison city and through these projects the issue would be managed effectively. He said these projects were public oriented and would provide alternative way to people from Rawalpindi to the motorway.

Published in Dawn, December 29th, 2023