Rawalpindi: Rs8 billion development fund approved for NA-56, says Hanif

[Naveed Yaseen]

Saeed Ahmed
The Punjab government has approved a special fund of Rs8 billion for launching different uplift schemes in NA-56 constituency.

This was stated by MNA Hanif Abbasi while talking to ‘The News’ during his visit to Sherpao Colony here Friday. He was accompanied by Rawalpindi Development Authority Director General Makeen Shahbaz, Land Development and Estate Management Directorate Director Shuja Ali, Chief Engineer Mohammad Naseer, Project Management Unit Project Director Salim Raza and other concerned officials of RDA.

Makeen Shahbaz showed MNA Hanif Abbasi the encroached RDA’s land and property. The MNA directed the DG to demolish the unauthorised construction without considering any pressure or political influence for implementing development projects.

Hanif Abbasi said that the RDA has been directed to construct hard-tiled road from Shabistan Cinema to Dhoke Khabba. He also directed the RDA to install solar energy lights along the road to cope with the problem of loadshedding. An amount of Rs40 million would be spent on it.

He also directed the RDA director general to shift Juma Bazaar to an RDA land at the backside of a two-start hotel. As many as 60 stallholders out of 100 would be accommodated at the new site of the weekly bazaars to be held on Friday and Sunday, he said. He said that only vegetable and food item stalls would be given place at the new site.

Hanif Abbasi said that the Punjab government has directed the Rawalpindi administration to build a Cardiac Institute costing Rs2.8 billion in Sherpao Colony for which site has been selected. Similarly, he said a Urology Centre would be established in Sherpao Colony with a fund of Rs1.7 billion. He said all these projects would commence within next three months.

For launching all these projects, the Punjab government has sanctioned a huge amount of Rs8 billion, he said. He said the special fund allocated by the provincial government would also be spent on launching water improvement projects including installation of 12 new tube-wells. Work on this plan has already been initiated, he added.

Later, Chief Minister Monitoring and Development Cell Chairman Sardar Naseem said that with the purpose of shifting all business centres, big hotels and shopping centres, he has proposed to the Punjab government for opening of a Cottage Town in Rawat and Chak Baili Khan. The idea has been appreciated and approved by the government. The objective behind it is to overcome traffic mess on Murree Road. With the shifting of all business and trade centres, shopping centres and big hotels, the traffic load on Murree Road would lessen by 50 per cent. During this period, “we would be able to implement other traffic control plans,” he said.