Islamabad: New CDA chairman facing challenging tasks

[Naveed Yaseen]

Muhammad Anis
The completion of mega development projects is as difficult as their spadework. The former chairman of the Capital Development Authority (CDA), Kamran Lashari, faced numerous difficulties in launching uplift projects in the capital. His successor Tariq Mehmood Khan is trying hard to accomplish all tasks before the expiry of their respective deadlines.

It took several months to design projects like flyover-cum-underpass at the Citibank Chowk and Zero Point Interchange and award their contracts. Now the new CDA chairman is facing the challenging task of accomplishing both projects within the given timeframe.

The new CDA chairman has been running from one project to the other after taking over as head of the civic body about two weeks back. He knows that it is not easy to come up to the expectations of residents of the federal capital.

Tariq Mehmood Khan wants to maintain the momentum of development work, which he inherited from Kamran Lashari.

Tariq Mehmood Khan inspected the development activity at the Citibank Chowk where the underpass has already been opened for traffic while work on the roundabout and flyover is in progress. He was accompanied by Member Engineering Tahir Shamshad, Engineering Consultant Colonel ® Arshad and other officials.

The CDA chairman directed the contractor and officials to ensure opening of the roundabout by November 15 to ease the flow of traffic. It would take another two months to complete the flyover and roadside work.

The CDA Environment Wing would coordinate with the contractor to prepare greenbelts along the road.

Well-placed sources told ‘The News’ that the contractor apprised the chairman that he had received payment of his bills since June this year. “Out of 12 bottlenecks, as many as nine relate to payment of bills to the contractor,” sources said.

Tariq Mehmood Khan also directed officials to resubmit the beautification plan of 1,050-metre Faisal Avenue underpass so that the work on it could be initiated in the shortest possible time.

He said that all grievances of the contractor would be removed but no delay would be tolerated.

It has also been learnt that permission granted by Chief Commissioner Kamran Lashari to 20 heavy vehicles to go to the site of the project amid tight security arrangements has recently been cancelled by a junior officer for unknown reasons. The officer, however, was not available for comments.

Meanwhile, the piling work has been started for bridges of the Zero Point Interchange. This work was to be carried out in the second phase of the project.

http://www.thenews.com.pk/daily_detail.asp?id=142515