Mayor inaugurates repair work of IJ Principal Road

Islamabad

The Mayor of Islamabad Metropolitan Corporation (IMC) Shaikh Ansar Aziz on Monday inaugurated maintenance and repair work of the IJ Principal Road which would be executed with funding of the Capital Development Authority (CDA).

The Monday’s event has kicked off controversy about distribution of powers between the CDA and IMC as the maintenance and development of major roads and highways fall in jurisdictions of the CDA. The CDA’s Works Directorate had already awarded of the maintenance work for Rs165 million.

The maintenance of IJ Principal Road from Pandora Chungi to G T Road, which currently is in a bad shape having big ditches and uneven patches, would be completed in four to six months.

The officials of the Capital Development Authority (CDA) while considering the ground-breaking ceremony of maintenance work as interference in their powers, stayed away from Monday’s event. As per Islamabad Local Government Act and notification issued by the Ministry of Capital Administration and Development (CAD), the CDA is supposed to carry out development and maintenance of principal roads, highways and avenues.

“We prepared PC-1 of the project, allocated funds for it and awarded contract to one of contractors whose name exists in CDA’s panel,” a CDA official while requesting not to be named said.

Presently, the IMC which comes into being in last week of June, this year has no budget. Moreover, the CDA would be responsible for salaries of employees of the IMC for the months of July and August.

Chief Metropolitan Officer of IMC Asad Kiani who organised the event, however, was not available for comments despite repeated attempts on his mobile number.

Islamabad Mayor Shaikh Ansar on the occasion, said the IMC would continue to execute repair and maintenance roads which are in poor condition. He said the project of Pirwadhai interchange would also be taken up.