New airport link road plan causes concern

[Salman]

New airport link road plan causes

ISLAMABAD: The Punjab government, in a hurry, has instructed the relevant departments to acquire a huge chunk of land measuring 22,726 kanals to construct a controversial zigzag link road from the new Benazir Bhutto International Airport to the twin-cities which would cost Rs15 billion. Documents available with The News reveal that the District Coordination Officer (DCO) has imposed Section 4 of Land Acquisition Act in Mauza Bajnial, Kot Kolian, Thalian and Katarian, Tehsil and District Rawalpindi which means further sale and purchase of land in these areas have been banned because now the government would acquire this land.

A notification bearing number 50/LAC/DC dated 27-03-2014 says, “Whereas, it appears to the District Collector, Rawalpindi that the land is required to be taken by National Highway Authority (NHA) at is expense for public purpose namely for the construction of link roads to new Benazir Bhutto International Airport, Islamabad Mouza Bajnial, Kot Kolian, Thaliana and Kataryan Tehsil and District Rawalpindi. It is hereby notified that the land in the locality described below is likely to be required for the above purpose. This notification made under the provision of Section 4 of Land Acquisition Act, 1894 to all whom it may concern. In exercise of the power conferred by aforesaid section, the District Collector is pleased to authorise the officers for the time being engaged in the undertaking with their servants and workmen to enter upon, survey and land in the locality and do all other acts required or permitted by the section.” The notification says that some 14315 kanals of land would be acquired in Bajnial area, 2087 kanals in Kot Kolian; 1220 kanals in Mauza Katarian and 5103 kanals in Mauza Thaliyan.

Chaudhary Muhammad Nisar, a senior lawyer and resident of Mauza Thaliyan, told The News that such a huge chunk of land is being acquired for peanuts from the owners and when the road would pass from this land, it would become a gold mine and then the government would lease this land to its blue-eyed businessmen. He maintained that such huge piece of land could not be solely acquired for construction of a road. He said neither the government was linking the new airport with the motorway zero point which would not cost even Rs1 billion nor it is developing the Motorway interchange at Bajnial, which is already constructed and could be used for airport traffic.

DCO Rawalpindi Sajid Zafar after listening to this correspondent’s name refused to talk, however, secretary to chief minister Punjab while talking to this correspondent said that whenever any land is acquired, it has to be mentioned in the notification for what purpose it is being acquired. The secretary said that land acquired for one purpose cannot be used for any other purpose and that is why the purpose of acquiring the land is mentioned in the notification.

It is worth mentioning here that the government, all of a sudden, has changed its mind to construct a long and zigzag link road to the new airport near Fateh Jang, costing over Rs15b, in violation of the Islamabad Master Plan, ignoring the original, straight, inexpensive and hassle-free access to the facility.

The two main stakeholders, Capital Development Authority and Rawalpindi Development Authority, have not been consulted before getting approval from the Prime Minister. The approved link road, if built, would eat up the land between Sectors I and H (series 14, 15, 16 and 17 series) earmarked in the Master Plan for the rail track.