LAHORE: The Punjab government has accorded administrative approval for the construction of Shahkam Chowk flyover, paving the way for the Lahore Development Authority (LDA) to receive adequate funds soon for launching the Rs3.5 billion project.
“Grant of administrative approval means that the government of Punjab would totally fund this project that would be executed by the LDA. Therefore, we expect release of funds in this regard soon, enabling us to go ahead for initiating the tendering, bidding and project award process,” LDA Chief Engineer Habibul Haq Randhawa told Dawn on Sunday.
Shahkam intersection flyover is the city’s most important project since the residents of various housing schemes along link canal road (Thokar to Bahria Town onward) have been facing great difficulties to commute, especially while passing by this intersection that most of the time remains choked due to passage of light and heavy traffic entering from Multan Road for Bhupatian Chowk, Canal Road and other points.
“It is really terrible whenever you plan to pass this intersection, as it takes at least 15 to 20 minutes in normal hours. So the government must construct this flyover on a war footing,” sought one Anwar, a resident of a posh locality near the intersection.
The government had earlier planned to execute this project under public private partnership (PPP) or on the basis of build, operate and transfer (BOT). But it couldn’t get positive response from any private party interested in completing this in this way. Later, the PPP commission finally decided to better take this project out of the PPP listed projects, requesting the government to fund this through putting it in the annual development programme.
But till presentation of the annual budget, the government didn’t accord its administrative approval. However, the finance department reflected the project in the ADP by allocating a token amount of Rs5 million so that the government could not only accord administrative approval but also allocate and release funds to the implementing agency.
“We are ready to execute this project. And I think that the government is also very keen to see this project completed within a short time. Hopefully, the funds will be released soon,” Mr Randhawa believed.
Talking about Firdaus market underpass project, he said that 60 per cent of concrete (piling) work had been completed in just 30 days. The remaining work would be completed within next two months, as tentative opening date of the underpass is Sept 6. He said the development work in the mega LDA city housing project is in full swing. All contractors, he said, have been mobilized to the site project phase-1.
“We will soon start giving possession of plots to allottees,” he said, claiming that the LDA engineering wing had saved Rs850 million in the total infrastructural costs of various projects including the LDA City Housing scheme and Firdaus market underpass.
As for the new projects, he said, the LDA planned to start work on several new projects including construction of 5,000 apartments at LDA City, completion of development work in litigation free areas of LDA avenue-1 scheme and rehabilitation of roads in neglected areas.
Published in Dawn, July 6th, 2020
