Changes to new Islamabad airport road to cost extra Rs 15bn

[Salman]

Changes to new Islamabad airport road to cost extra Rs 15bn

ISLAMABAD: The Senate Standing Committee on Cabinet Secretariat was informed on Tuesday that the government has changed the original master plan for the construction of a new link road to the Islamabad airport without the approval of the Cabinet which would cost the state kitty over Rs15 billion.
Raja Nosherwan, a National Highway Authority (NHA) Planning member, confirmed before the committee, which met at the Parliament House under the chair of Kalsoom Parveen, that the changes to the master plan were brought by the incumbent government.
The chairperson observed that due to the delaying tactics, the cost of new airport project went up from Rs35 billion to more than Rs1 trillion. The NHA official said there were deficiencies in the old plan; however, the authority was directed in the past to implement it and the same was for the amended plan which were duly followed. He also said the new airport would be operational by March 2015.
The committee strongly protested the absence of the chairmen of he NHA, Civil Aviation Authority (CAA), Capital Development Authority (CDA), Islamabad Capital Territory (ICT) high-ups and Rawalpindi commissioner from the meeting and gave them a last chance to ensure their presence in the next meeting; otherwise they would be dealt with legally.
Senator Talha Mehmood said the amendments had been made to the plan for the construction of new link road to the airport just to benefit the interior minister. He said the original plan for the road was changed and a zigzag path was going to be followed instead of a straight direction.
The committee expressed serious concern over the project, and directed the CAA, NHA and CDA to brief the committee about it in the next meeting.
The committee also expressed displeasure over the non-permission to construction of link road from main Kuri Road to New Mal village, Rehara, saying the CDA did not give route to Senator Abdul Nabi Bangash’s land. He wanted to construct it with his/her own resources, despite the assurance of the CDA chief to resolve the issue within two weeks.
Senator Abdul Nabi Bangash said he wanted to construct a bridge and road with his own resources, but the CDA did not cooperate.
According to the briefing notes, Senator Bangash started un-authorized construction of a link road from main Kuri Road to his private land in New Mal village, Rehara, through CDA-acquired land adjacent to Run Road. He bulldozed approximately 600-feet long and 35 to 40 inches wide link road on CDA land without any permission of the competent authority.
This illegal work was stopped at the site by the Environment Protection staff and a challan was submitted in the court of senior special magistrate on February 6.
Meanwhile, the senator appealed to the CDA chairman for the grant of no-objection certificate for the construction of a road from Run Road to his private land through CDA-acquired land. The access has been constructed from plot numbers 2 and 17 of Kuri Agro Farming Scheme owned by the CDA. There exists an old revenue path from Kuri Road to Rehara village, which has been acquired by the CDA and Kuri Agro farming scheme has been planned there. The construction of road shall disturb two plots of Run Agro Farming Scheme. As per ILDR 2005, there is no provision for alienating CDA land in the requested manner.

http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/national/09...ra-rs-15bn