Islamabad: CDA gets Rs700 million share in federal budget

[Naveed Yaseen]

Mobarik A. Virk
The federal government on Saturday allocated Rs700 million for the fiscal year 2009-2010 to the Capital Development Authority (CDA) for three major road construction projects to be initiated this year.

The biggest project would be the conversion of ‘Kashmir Highway’ into ‘Kashmir Expressway’ by adding two additional lanes from 9th Avenue intersection to ‘Golra Mor’ round about for which the government has allocated Rs300 million in the federal budget for fiscal year 2009-2010.

The government announced another Rs400 million to the CDA for executing work on yet another couple of major roads projects, i.e. ‘Rehabilitation and widening of Islamabad Highway from Koral Chowk to GT Road, Rawat’ and for the construction of ‘Khayaban-e-Margallah Islamabad’ from Nicholson Monument on GT Road to link it with ‘Khayaban-e-Iqbal’. The total estimated cost of the ‘Kashmir Expressway’ project stands at Rs1,095.915 million out of which for the fiscal year 2009-2010 the federal government has allocated Rs300 million. The CDA has been allocated another Rs200 million for the year 2009-2010 for the ‘Rehabilitation and Widening of Islamabad Highway from Koral Chowk to GT Road, Rawat out of the estimated total cost of Rs2,000 million. For the Rs3918.350 million project of construction of ‘Khayaban-e-Margalla, linking the GT Road at Nicholson Monument with Khayaban-e-Iqbal, the federal government allocated Rs200 million for the year 2009-2010.

CDA Member/FA Saeedur Rehman told ‘The News’ that all the three are major inter-city road projects to be executed by the Authority. “In addition to these,” he added, “there are another 19 projects of the federal government, which would be executed by the CDA or other development agencies like the Pakistan Public Works Department (Pak PWD).” These include the construction of residential and non-residential accommodation for police at Aiwan-e-Sadr for which Rs40 million have been allocated in the 2009-2010 budget out of the total estimate cost of Rs157.864 million. For renovation of Aiwan-e-Sadr (Revised Phase-I), which is estimated to cost Rs82.700 million, Rs48.900 million have been allocated for the new fiscal year. Rs10.074 million have been allocated for construction of official residence of speaker of the National Assembly in Sector F-5/2 out of the total estimated cost of Rs77.420 million.

For the construction of 16 Category-IV flats for AGPR in Sector G-9/2, Rs12.201 have been allocated in the federal budget for the year 2009-2010 out of a total estimated project cost of Rs34.022 million. Rs11.334 million have been allocated in the budget for the new fiscal year to replace two lifts installed in the ex-USAID building that would actually cost a total amount of Rs16.534 million. Rs5.200 million were already spent on this project during the last fiscal year up to June, 2009. The government released the remaining Rs25.770 required for the improvement of HVAC system and furnishing of residence end at Aiwan-e-Sadar. The total project cost of Rs62.239 and during the last fiscal year Rs36.569 were spent. For the installation of professional CCTV system in the Senate Hall at Parliament House the government released the remaining Rs10.007 to complete the project during the upcoming fiscal year.

Similarly, the remaining Rs26.096 were allocated to complete the work on rehabilitation/replacement of 32 lifts installed at Pak Secretariat building. The total project cost was Rs200.065 out of which Rs173.969 were already spent till June, 2009. For the provision of A/C facilities by providing additional installation for split/package type units and for providing/installation of fire alarm system and P/L of CCTV system procurement of spares for lifts at Parliament House building the remaining Rs37.979 million were released in the budget for 2009-2010 to complete the project that was estimated to cost Rs59.890 million. Rs21.911 million were already spent by June, 2009. The government approved and released Rs37.433 million for providing/installation of security equipment and fire alarm system at the Cabinet block building. Similarly Rs26.725 were allocated for providing/installation of CCTV system for outside and provision of computer along with software, spares and test equipment for SIS system at Parliament House building.

For upgradation/renovation of public address, simultaneous interpretation and automatic vote costing system installed in the Senate hall at Parliament building the whole project cost of Rs63.693 were allocated in the budget 2009-2010. For security arrangements at Parliament House Rs98.133 million were allocated that makes the total cost of the project. For the construction of second ‘hanger’ (pre-engineering steel structure) at Helliport in Islamabad Rs349.300 million, the full estimated project cost, was allocated in the new budget. Similarly Rs87.344 million, the total estimated cost for furnishing of Supreme Court building, was allocated in the 2009-2010 budget. For the construction of 106 family suits at a total estimated cost of Rs4,000.000 million, the government allocated Rs200.000 million for the fiscal year 2009-2010. For the construction of offices of parliamentary Secretaries Rs200.000 million were allocated for the year 2009-2010 out of the total estimated project cost of Rs1,800.000 million. For the construction of offices of chairmen standing committees a project was approved at an estimated cost of Rs1,800.000 million out of which Rs200.000 million were allocated in the 2009-2010 budget. For the construction of the next phase of the Supreme Court of Pakistan a project estimated at Rs400.000 million was submitted out of which Rs360,000 million have been released in the 2009-2010 budget.

http://www.thenews.com.pk/daily_detail.asp?id=182921