Regi Model Town residents pin hopes on new PDA DG

PESHAWAR: The residents and allottees of Regi Model Town (RMT) have pinned high hopes on the newly posted director general (DG) of Peshawar Development Authority (PDA) for solution of the problems they are faced with.

Engr Ijaz Afzal, a grade 20 officer of the PDA, already serving as additional DG was recently elevated to the post of DG replacing a grade 19 PMS officer Fayaz Ali Shah during whose tenure the major civic body of the provincial metropolis remained almost dysfunctional.

Since the outgoing DG used to come to office after 11:30 or 12 noon and leave the office before 5 pm to travel to his hometown Mardan the subordinate staff also exploited the situation and development work and complaint redressal had come to a halt particularly at RMT where he did not bother to pay a single visit in his whole tenure.

Notwithstanding the fact RMT, the so far largest public sector housing scheme in the provincial capital launched about three decades ago could not be developed to the satisfaction of residents and allottees but the ongoing uplift schemes came to a halt during the last one year and so.

Not only residents have been complaining about lack of basic civic amenities but work on a portion of the Nasir Bagh Road leading to Zone V, Sakhipul and adjacent localities and bridge on Juma Khan Khwar remained suspended.

According to the construction firm, Frontier Works Organisation (FWO) the remaining work on the road and bridge could not be continued due to non-release of funds. Interestingly, the road upto Defence Housing Authority (DHA) except a small portion and bridge near RMT entrance, was completed but the remaining portion of road and another bridge are still lying incomplete.

Despite repeated complaints and requests by residents of the RMT and Media Colony, an extension of RMT, no attention was given to redress the problems and develop at least the two zone, Zone 3, 4 and Media Colony of the housing scheme let alone the remaining three zones, I, 2 and 5 which are far behind development to the level of construction of houses.

The RMT was launched in early 90s for provision of housing facilities to government servants and different societies were allotted plots in the early 2000s but it could not become a township suitable for living as compared to DHA, which was launched almost three years ago but has been developed much more than RMT.

Lack of interest and commitment of successive governments and DGs ‘ignorant’ attitude could be held responsible for topsy-turvy condition of the housing scheme. The Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) government’s interest in the PDA affairs can be gauged from the fact that during the last two and a half years five DGs were posted and transferred in the Authority and no one took interest in the RMT’s development.

Even the Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) service announced a few months ago also could not be run due to lack of interest on the part of former DG. Now as the new DG has taken over the charge and residents expect he would give attention to the RMT affairs.

Though the new DG would face the challenges of how to deal with the lobby of directors, deputy directors and assistant directors particularly from the electric department and water and sanitation department who hardly follow any directives.

The residents expect the new DG would ask for a progress report on the matters he had issued directives as additional DG and would bring to justice those intentionally causing loss to the PDA funds and resources.

Besides other problems the major issues residents have been facing are related to electricity and water and sanitation and both the departments need complete overhauling and check and balance.