Rawalpindi: Rs 2.35bn RDA budget approved

[Naveed Yaseen]

* Rs 1.62 billion allocated to RDA, Rs 727.069 million to WASA
* Proposal for grants placed before Punjab government

By Aamir Yasin
RAWALPINDI: Rawalpindi City District Nazim Raja Javed Ikhlas on Monday approved Rs 2.35 billion budget for Rawalpindi Development Authority (RDA) for fiscal year 2008-09.

Ikhlas is also the RDA chairman. Makeen Shahbaz, the RDA director-general, Col ® Islamul Haq, the Water and Sanitation Agency (WASA) managing director, Sheikh Rashid Shafique, the Rawal Town nazib, Hamid Nawaz Raja, the Potohar Town nazim, and senior officials of the City District Government attended the meeting in which the budget was approved.

In the budget, Rs 1.62 billion has been allocated for RDA and Rs 727.069 million for WASA.

Following the meeting, RDA DG Makeen Shahbaz told reporters that the RDA would spend Rs 1.36 billion on development schemes under Annual Development Programme.

A proposal seeking grants for these development schemes had been submitted to the Punjab government, he said.

“Mega schemes, for which provincial government’s grants have been sought, include Elevated Expressway from the Mall to Faizabad Interchange. Rs 20 million is needed for preparing its feasibility study, PC-1 and design,” he said.

He said, “On directives of MNA-elect Haji Pervaiz Khan, the RDA has demanded Rs 200 million for restarting work on Leh Expressway. Similarly, Rs 496 million has been proposed for a flyover from Jinnah Park to Flying Club.”

He said the flyover’s total cost had been estimated at Rs 1.39 billion and work on it was expected to complete over the next six months, provided that funds were available.

He said widening of Dhok Khabba Road and feasibility study on development of a link road from Islamabad International Airport to High Court at GT Road would be carried out this year. Tentative cost of the link road was Rs 100 million, he said.

He said the RDA would start construction of a parking plaza at Fawara Chowk at the cost of Rs 80 million. Initially, Rs 10 million had been estimated for the launch of the RDA Business Heights at Sherpao Colony near Committee Chowk, he said.

He said Rs 10 million had been allocated for construction of RDA Complex and Rs 50 million had been sanctioned for a housing scheme with public-private partnership. The RDA had already started work on this project, he added.

WASA budget: The RDA DG told reporters that WASA had earmarked Rs 283.350 million for repair and maintenance of infrastructure while total expenditure of the agency stood at Rs 457.016. No increase in water tariff had been under consideration, he said.

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