NAROWAL: A tourist bus service project for Sialkot has failed allegedly owing to the incompetence of the district administration, wasting over Rs30 million invested by the local business community.

Former Sialkot deputy commissioner Syed Bilal Haider had planned a tourist bus service for the city’s historical places and a feasibility report prepared for the purpose. The local business community had gathered funds and utilised them to establish two master terminals, 16 bus stations as well as entertainment spots. They had even got a special double-storey bus prepared.

On Sept 16, 2019, Punjab Special Education Minister Chaudhry Muhammad Akhlaq, Disaster Management Minister Mian Muhammad Khalid along with Mr Haider had inaugurated the master terminal and the bus service. The project was then handed over to the district administration.

However, the administration failed to remove the electricity wires hanging along the route of the bus, which hampered its operations.

Locals Mohsin Ayaz and Ahsan Naeem said after the inauguration of the project, the bus ran only twice. It failed due to the high-voltage power lines hanging across the roads along the route. The double-decker bus has since been parked in the hockey stadium for four years instead of clearing the wires along the route.

According to sources, some spare parts of the bus have also been stolen over the years. Businessmen Muhammad Amin Awan and Ashiq Chaudhry claimed the project failed due to the incompetence and negligence of the Sialkot district administration.

Deputy Commissioner Abdullah Khurram Niazi could not be contacted for comment despite repeated attempts.

Locals and businessmen demanded Chief Minister Chaudhry Parvez Elahi take immediate notice of the situation.

Published in Dawn, January 9th, 2023