Rawalpindi: Rs 1.4bn RDA budget awaits nazim’s nod

[Naveed Yaseen]

* Rs 664.565 million earmarked for development schemes
* Rs 165.325 million for a parking plaza at Fawara Chowk
* Rs 730 million for WASA g Water tariff will not go up

By Aamir Yasin

RAWALPINDI: Rawalpindi Development Authority (RDA) on Wednesday sent its budget 2009-10 with a financial outlay of Rs 1.4 billion to City District Nazim Raja Javed Ikhlas for approval.

Sources told Daily Times that according to rules, the nazim would approve the budget, being the RDA chairman.

They said Rs 664.565 million had been earmarked for development schemes and Rs 87.190 million for non-development expenditure.

They said WASA budget was Rs 730 million, Rs 280 million of which had been earmarked for maintenance of pipes and water filtration plants while total expenditure of WASA was estimated at Rs 470 million. Water tariff had not been increased and was not even under consideration, they said.

They said in fiscal year 2009-10, the RDA would get Rs 471 million additionally from federal and provincial governments for development projects. They said the authority would generate more funds from regularisation of housing schemes, RDA Business Heights, low-cost flats and building control activities.

They said the RDA earmarked Rs 165.325 million for construction of a parking plaza at Fawara Chowk. They said the authority had already generated Rs 32.5 million from auction of two commercial plots.

Building of RDA Business Height at Sherpao Colony in Committee Chowk was under RDA plans that would cost Rs 10 million as per initial estimates, they said.

For construction of RDA Complex on Benazir Bhutto Shaheed Road, Rs 50 million had been allocated, they said.

The RDA had finally decided to launch a housing scheme on the basis of public-private partnership, for which Rs 50 million had been sanctioned, they said.

The RDA had invited through print media consultants and other required staff this housing scheme.

They said Rs 40 million for aerial survey of parks had been set aside as the Punjab government had asked the RDA to set up a Parks and Horticultural Agency (PHA) in Rawalpindi.

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