Metro misses third deadline

[Salman]

The Punjab government has failed to achieve its third consecutive deadline for the Metro Bus Project (MBP) in the twin cities of Rawalpindi and Islamabad.

According to details, the first deadline was stated to be December 25, 2014 when the project was inaugurated. The second deadline was January 31, 2015, which also lapsed. A third deadline i.e. February 15, 2015, was then established, which also went by with little hope of completion on Sunday.

Parliamentary Secretary Syed Saqlain Bukhari told the National Assembly that 70 percent of the work on the Metro Bus Service has been completed, and the inauguration likely to be held in next month.

Source in the administration of MBP told that project was changed from time to time that cause the delay in the project. Even some changes in design were made in the current month.

Metro Bus Project Implementation committee Chairman Hanif Abbasi has directed to contractors to speed up work for completion of various works and installation of the stations of Rawalpindi Islamabad MBP.

Official spokesman for Metro Bus Project told that the special direction were given in meeting which was held at Rawalpindi Development Authority (RDA) to review the progress of all Metro Bus stations.

He further said the meeting was jointly chaired by Muhammad Hanif Abbasi and Captain ® Zahid Saeed, Commissioner Rawalpindi Division.

“It is our collective responsibility to complete the work as soon as possible and contractor should do sincere efforts to finish the work at the earliest,” The Commissioner Rawalpindi said.

Former MNA Hanif Abbasi urged the contractors to put-in extra labour for execution of ongoing work on fast track basis.

Earlier, two laborers working the Rawalpindi and Islamabad MBP were buried alive after a mound of earth collapsed on them at a site near Peshwar Mor.

Commenting over the incident, Central leader from Pakistan Tehreek Insaf (PTI), Andleeb Abbasi said that if government will appoint someone like Hanif Abbasi, as head of the project, who was indicted and involved in an Ephedrine mega corruption scandal, then who will care for safety measures.