RAWALPINDI, Dec 25: Master plan for the New Murree project is being finalized and work on it will start from next year, Punjab Chief Minister Chaudhry Pervaiz Elahi said on Saturday.

He stated this while talking to Federal Minister for Labour, Manpower and Overseas Pakistanis Ghulam Sarwar Khan, Punjab Minister for Public Health Engineering Mushtaq Kiani and Nazims of five tehsils of Rawalpindi district who called on him.

Mr Elahi said under the programme, water would be supplied from Jhelum river to Murree. A gas supply project would also be undertaken at a cost of Rs500 million of which Rs250 million would be provided by the Punjab government. The remaining amount will be made available by the federal government.

He said a Thai firm, chosen from among several international companies, was awarded contract of preparing the master plan of the New Murree project. The company will prepare the master plan with the collaboration of Nespak at the earliest.

The chief minister said an independent authority had been established to prepare by-laws for New Murree and to manage other related matters.