LAHORE, Aug 20: Leaders and members of the Qaumi Tajir Ittehad have declared their support to any project that helped bring about municipal improvement, heritage asset management and behavioral change in the Walled City.
The commitment came at a meeting between traders and the government held inside Kinari Bazaar near Sonehri Masjid on Saturday evening.
There was a general consensus amongst participants for the creation of a separate and exclusive authority to manage the Walled City.
After official presentations, a general question-answer session ensued where people put their queries and apprehensions before Planning and Development Department chairman Suleman Ghani.
In response to questions regarding the four-stroke rickshaws being added to Lahore’s transport fleet, he said that CNG rickshaws were being actively promoted by the government and the registration of two-stroke rickshaws had been prohibited.
He stated that the government had restricted the entry of these grossly polluting rickshaws on The Mall and these would gradually be replaced by those that consumed CNG as fuel.
Asked about a grant scheme the government was contemplating for restoring heritage assets, he said that only 30 per cent of the total costs would be funded by grants and the remaining would comprise loans or self-contribution.
He reminded the audience that the government was committed to restoring the Shahi Guzargah in the first phase of the sustainable development programme whereas the second phase would take place three years after.
The third and final phase would eventually take place after five years and the three phases would collectively require funding of approximately $150 million, he added.
One of the participants inquired about the demolition of old Kotwali Chowk to make way for a plaza and asked whether this would be the norm in the Walled City, the chairman assured the participants that no such activity would be carried out in future as the government had learnt from the mistakes of neglect.
Asked what would be the situation if the community did not participate, he emphasised that the community participation was paramount and non-cooperation would mean immediate closure of the programme.