CDA to set up fruit, vegetable & flower market at Sangjani

[LahoreEstate]

Sunday, May 31, 2009
by Mobarik A. Virk

Islamabad

The Capital Development Authority (CDA) will establish a fruit, vegetable and flower market over an area of 54 acres of land near Sangjani.

The market will cater to the needs of not only the NWFP and the Northern Areas but also for onward supplies of goods and products to the Central Asian States, China, Iran and Afghanistan.

CDA’s Consultant Engineer Colonel ® Naseem Arshad gave a presentation to the members of the CDA Board headed by Chairman Tariq Mahmood Khan on the project here on Saturday.

He said the facility will be equipped with cold storages, hotels, exhibition halls, banks and a mosque and will have a foolproof security system to prevent any untoward incident. He informed that the piece of land has already been allocated for the construction of the project close to the Grand Trunk (GT) Road at Sangjani.

“This project would be completed on Built, Operate and Transfer (BOT) basis. While the purpose to set up fruit, vegetable and flower market is to promote business not only within Pakistan but to turn this into a major centre from where the traders and businessmen could have easy access beyond the borders to the countries in the Central Asia, China, Iran and Afghanistan too,” he added.

He said that a committee has already visited different nearby countries as well as the major local business centres including Karachi and Lahore to examine the existing such set-ups and studied their working in those countries and areas. He said that as the location of this upcoming project is strategically very suitable as it would be only a few kilometres away from the M-I and M-2 (Motorways) as well as it will be in close proximity of the new Benazir Bhutto International Airport.

CDA Chairman Tariq Mahmood Khan directed the concerned departments to use all resources for this state-of-the-art project to make it a big success. He hoped that on completion it would not only encourage the business activity within the country but will help boost trade links with the neighbouring countries.

http://www.thenews.com.pk/daily_detail.asp?id=180463