RAWALPINDI: While the fiscal year 2023-24 is about to end, the Rawalpindi Development Authority (RDA) launched only two projects while two others remained on papers only during the year.

The two projects were Rawalpindi Ring Road worth Rs38 billion and Asghar Mall Road reconstruction worth Rs129 million.

A senior official of the RDA told Dawn that in the last fiscal year the civic agency could make PC-I of different projects.

“It focused on regulating private housing schemes and approval of building plans.” He said in the fiscal year 2023-24, RDA planned three projects — Ring Road, Kutchery Chowk remodelling and Leh Nullah Expressway and Flood Channel.

Kutchery Chowk remodeling project worth Rs6.4bn dropped by caretaker Punjab govt, says official

However, the Kutchery Chowk remodeling project having underpasses and flyovers worth Rs6.4 billion was dropped by the caretaker Punjab government. The RDA was told to work only on expansion of roads in the main square of the garrison city to ease the traffic congestion.

Other projects were remodelling of Kutchery Chowk worth Rs10 million, land acquisition for construction of Leh Nullah expressway with the Rawalpindi of Rs1 million, establishment of PMU for Leh Nullah expressway and the Urban Regeneration Plan worth Rs2 million and construction of additional three floors at the car parking plaza at Fawara Chowk with the allocation of Rs10 million.

But, the Kutchery Chowk expansion project and signal-free corridor from Ammar Chowk to Pirwadhai Mor was handed over to Communications and Works Department.

He said the civic body carried out repair of three metro bus stations at Committee Chowk, Shamsabad and 6th Road on the request of Punjab Mass Transit Authority (PMA).

He said Rs254 million were also provided by the PMA. “PMA also provided Rs720 million to repair the metro track from Saddar to Faizabad. It was also originally a project of PMA and RDA was carrying the work on the request of PMA,” he said.

“In last tenure of PML-N in Punjab, the RDA had completed work on improvement of Fawara Chowk parking plaza, Liaquat Bagh flyover and Double Road interchange,” he said.

He said that in the annual development programme, there was no other development project for Rawalpindi. He said the civic body was supposed to present the development projects for next fiscal year 2024-25 for preparation of annual development but it again sent to the government three projects — Leh expressway, underpasses in Marrir Chowk and repair of nine roads besides construction of RDA complex to include in the annual development programme.

When contacted, RDA spokesman Mohammad Irfan said that it was working on those projects for which the government had allocated funds. However, he said, work on more projects would be launched in the next fiscal year.

Published in Dawn, June 9th, 2024