Chandni Chowk Flyover RTMA yet to get land price

[Salman]

Chandni Chowk Flyover RTMA yet to get land price

RAWALPINDI, March 21: After failing to get any response from the Punjab government, Rawal Town Municipal Administration (RTMA) has asked the divisional commissioner to help recover Rs70 million for its land which Lahore has included in Chandni Chowk Flyover project.

A senior RTMA official told Dawn on Wednesday that the RTMA had written three letters in a month to the provincial government but without result.
He said the Rawal Town administrator had asked the commissioner to pursue their case with the provincial government as the TMA had lost its income generating site at Benazir Bhutto Road.The two petrol filling stations owned by the RTMA were located on the land measuring two kanals and 10 marla near BenazirBhutto Hospital. Now service road is being constructed on the land.He said that the filling stations were giving Rs180,000 per month as rent.With limited source of income, the land issue would create problem for the RTMA in presenting development-oriented budget in coming fiscal year 2012-13.The main sources of income for the RTMA was building plan fee, parking fee and rent of the properties located in different parts of the city.Earlier, RTMA had Pirwadhai General Bus Stand and allied property which provided it Rs50 million per annum but all these properties including 800 shops and three petrol filling stations were taken over by the City District Government Rawalpindi (CDGR).He said that the RTMA was reluctant to hand over the land but gave it only after receiving assurance from the government that it would purchase land at market price.When contacted, Rawal Town Administrator Saif Anwar Jappa said that the RTMA had not received the price of land yet. He said that the provincial government would pay the amount soon.He admitted that the funds were to be released last month.
He said that the RTMA had contacted the provincial secretary local government to pursue the case with Punjab Chief Minister as soon as possible.