Islamabad: CDA shifts from top to low gear after Lashari

[Naveed Yaseen]

By Imran Naeem Ahmad
ISLAMABAD: Matching the pace set by Kamran Lashari, the former head of Capital Development Authority (CDA), is always going to be tough for the incumbent chairman and already the first signs are evident.

Under Tariq Mahmood Khan who took over the hot seat earlier in the month, the CDA looks set to shelve the construction of the 6th and 10th Avenues.

A senior CDA official told Daily Times on Tuesday that there were indications that these two projects may not be executed anytime soon. “The change at the helm is bound to slow down the pace of some of the existing projects while also affecting several others,” he said.

Following the successful completion of the 7th and 9th Avenues, the CDA had planned to launch a string of mega road projects during the current fiscal year. “However, with the change of guard, things are not the same now,” said the official.

Also likely to be affected is the widening of the Kashmir Highway with the CDA now pondering seeking the entire funding for the project from the government. “Doing so will be risky in these difficult times,” he pointed out.

According to plans, the government had pledged 50 percent of funds for the highway through the Public Sector Development Programme with the remaining money to put in by CDA itself.

The road is to be widened from Peshawar Mor to GT Road at a cost of Rs 2.191 billion but the project is now seemingly in doldrums. “The date for opening the tenders has already been extended,” the official disclosed.

Another project that might not take off is the dualisation and widening of the road from Taramri to Pinstech although the CDA will be going ahead with the construction of the 11th Avenue.

The CDA in recent years embarked upon an unprecedented development spree that saw parks and picnic spots being beautifully developed, the road network massively expanded and the town’s beautification being given particular attention.

Meanwhile, one of CDA’s projects, the Islamabad Expressway, is heading for an early finish. “We hope that the expansion of the road will be completed early next month,” an official familiar with the project said.

Elsewhere, some of the slip lanes and the round about at the Faisal Avenue Flyover will be opened to traffic later this month, the official said. He added that bridges over the Nazimuddin and Fazal-e-Haq Roads at this spot were at the pre-qualification stage. As for the actual flyover, the January 15 deadline for the contractor stands.

At the start of the month, the CDA hurriedly opened the underpasses that are part of the Faisal Avenue Flyover, much to the relief of the people. The delay in the completion of the flyover though has been a cause for concern for the residents.

However, the official said that the contractor was now in the process of putting the girders in place and should be able to meet the extended January deadline.

The area around the project site has inconvenienced people for a long time for it has become such a maze that motorists often find it hard to negotiate.

http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/default.asp...008_pg11_3