PESHAWAR, Feb 11: Infrastructure development to kick-start execution of the multi-billion-rupee Regi Lalma township here would shortly be started, allowing a large number of stakeholders to heave a sigh of relief whose millions are stuck up for the past several years due to non-implementation of this major housing scheme — meant for the public and private sector employees.

According to official sources, the provincial government has set aside a sum of Rs100m to immediately start work on the infrastructure development, bringing out this vital housing project from the cold storage.

The governments of the past failed to implement the scheme due mainly to their inability to remove a sprawling camp (Nasir Bagh refugee camp) and some military installations (firing range) situated on the site of the housing scheme.

Measurement and mapping on the site of the housing scheme, said the sources, had already been started whereas construction of roads, sewerage lines and work on infrastructure development would be commenced shortly.

The provincial governor Lt-Gen (retd) Syed Iftikhar Hussain Shah was scheduled to perform the ground-breaking ceremony here on Sunday to formally start execution of the township. However, this could not be done “due to some unavoidable reasons.”

The city municipal and development department, in a recently sent letter to all the 42 housing societies, for whom land has been marked for their respective housing schemes, directed them to clear, by Feb 28, the outstanding amount against the first, out of the four, instalments they are supposed to pay.

According to the sources, the 42 housing societies — representing the employees of the federal and provincial governments, their semi-autonomous bodies and personnel of the armed forces — have collectively deposited over Rs463m out of the total amount of Rs849m they are required to deposit as first instalment.

Having specified a total of 9864 kanals under the Regi Lalma township, the 42 housing societies would need to jointly deposit a total of Rs3.4bn as total cost of the land.

The city municipal and development department, said the sources, had asked all the housing societies to deposit the outstanding sums (involving a total of over Rs390m) by Feb 28.

Whereas the 42 housing societies had so far deposited Rs463m on account of first instalment of the specified land the provincial government had spent a sum of Rs500m for land acquisition

The additional funds (out of Rs500m spent against Rs463m received), according to the sources, have been borrowed from the Hayatabad Township reserves funds.