Commissioner briefs media persons about different projects

Rawalpindi : Commissioner Rawalpindi Division Liaquat Ali Chatta here on Saturday during a visit to Rawalpindi Ring Road, Dadocha Dam, Vegetable and Fruit Mandi, Rawat and Holy Family Hospital briefed the journalists about the progress of the mega projects.

The Commissioner said that the purpose of the media team’s visits to all mega projects is to inform the journalists about the progress made on these projects. The media members themselves should check everything on the spot and clear all the confusion of the people about these projects, he added. He urged the media to cooperate with the authorities and the departments concerned to ensure the timely completion of these projects.

He informed that the Holy Family Hospital was built in 1942 and after 80 years, its revamping work was started to make it an 1100-bed health facility, adding that the Holy Family Hospital building is a historical building and all the basement and floors would be renovated in the style of a new hospital. The hospital would be a big hospital not only in Punjab but also in Rawalpindi as all the systems of the hospital were being updated, Liaquat Ali Chatta said. All the work of the hospital would be completed by 31 January 2024, he informed.

The right-of-way of Dadocha Dam had also been almost cleared to ensure that the project could be completed as soon as possible, he said. A total of 16,194 kanals of 14 marla land was acquired in Rawalpindi and Kallar Syedan for the construction of the dam located 25 kilometres from Rawalpindi, he said. The dam would be at a height of 123 feet and 737 feet long while its catchment area is 129 square miles, the Commissioner said. After its construction, the dam would supply 35 million gallons of water per day for Rawalpindi city, he informed.

Work on Rawalpindi Ring Road is progressing rapidly, he said and informed that the length of phase one from Banth to Thalian is 38.3 km. He said Rawalpindi Ring Road would have a total of five interchanges at Banth, Chak Beli Khan, Adiala Road, Chakri Road and Thalian. An industrial zone would also be set up around Rawalpindi Ring Road.

So far 27 percent of the earthwork had been completed, he added. The target for completion of the ring road project had been set by September 2024, he informed. At the end of the visit, the Commissioner and media team visited the vegetable and fruit market in Rawat. Within four days, a vegetable and fruit mandi was established on 6.5 hectares of land near Rawat, he said adding, the mandi was being improved with every passing day. A new van route had also been launched to facilitate the citizens so that they could reach the mandi easily, he said. In the first phase, route permits would be issued to 20 vehicles, he informed. Four security guards had been deployed for the security of Rawat Mandi to ensure the safety of the customers, Liaquat Ali Chatta said.