CM orders flyovers, expressways in Lahore

[Naveed Yaseen]

CHIEF Minister Mian Muhammad Shahbaz Sharif said that a number of mega projects for rapid development and provision of better transport facilities to the masses were being started in Punjab.

Addressing a high-level meeting held here on Wednesday regarding construction of different flyovers, expressways and other roads, he said these projects would be executed on priority basis in less-developed areas.

The CM said several projects would be initiated in the provincial metropolis in the first week of September. “The foundation-stone of Shalamar flyover would be laid on September 2 while construction work of expressways in Rawalpindi and Lahore would be initiated in October, he added.

He issued instructions for setting up of a task force for monitoring of the uplift projects and coordination between departments concerned. The task force would be headed by LDA Director General Khawaja Ahmad Hassan

Khawaja Ahmad Hassan, Frontier Works Organization (FWO) director, TEPA managing director, NESPAK vice president and Mustafa Kamal were present on the occasion. There, the chief minister said that FWO had executed a number of development projects in the provincial metropolis and despite passage of nine years; no need has been felt for any repair.

He said that keeping in view the performance of FWO, all development projects would be executed by this organisation in future as well. Mian Shahbaz Sharif directed FWO to conduct a survey of the proposed projects and provision of such facilities as telephone, sewerage and others be completed before hand as permission would not be granted for digging the roads for any development activity once the roads had been completed.

He said that designs have been prepared for the construction of flyovers at Shalamar Chowk and Hussain Chowk in Gulberg; however, the construction work of Shalamar flyover would be started first so that transport and other problems of the people of the area were solved as early as possible.

The CM said that different projects including Shalamar Road, Multan Road, Circular Road, Shaukat Ali Road, Walton Road, Khurshid Alam Road and Jain Mandir Road would also be started in the first week of September.

He directed NESPAK to complete the designing of expressways from Lahore Bridge to Ravi Bridge in the provincial metropolis and Murree Chowk to Faizabad in Rawalpindi as early as possible so that construction work on these projects could also be started in October.

He issued instructions for conducting an audit by NESPAK into the poor construction work of Shaukat Ali Road and said that it would be criminal act if action was not taken against the people responsible for the substandard execution of the project.

Mian Shahbaz Sharif further said that uplift projects were executed round-the-clock in developed countries and this culture should also be promoted in Pakistan. He said that construction work during night helps in early execution of the projects as well as saves the people from traffic and other problems.

He said that attention was also being paid to the implementation of development projects in Rawalpindi, Multan, Sialkot, Gujranwala, Sargodha, Bahawalpur and other cities and development activities would soon be started in these areas. He directed authorities concerned for ensuring construction of all roads within stipulated period. He also issued instructions for provision of basic amenities to the people as well as plantation of maximum number of trees on both sides of the roads.

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