Rs57.96 bn LDA annual budget approved

LAHORE: The governing body of Lahore Development Authority (LDA) has approved annual budget of LDA and its subordinate agencies Wasa and Tepa amounting to Rs57.96 billion for the fiscal year 2017-18 here Monday.

Officials said out of the total budget of Rs57.96 billion, LDA, Wasa and Tepa will spend a sum of Rs37.55 billion on various new and ongoing development schemes.

Adviser to the chief minister and member of the LDA governing body Kh Ahmad Hassaan chaired the budget meeting. The meeting was attended by members of the provincial assembly, including Bao Muhammad Akhtar from Lahore, Rana Muhammad Arshad from Nankana Sahib, Arif Khan Sandheela from Sheikhupura, Secretary Housing Punjab Captain ® Khurram Agha, LDA Director General Zahid Akhtar Zaman, Wasa Managing Director Sayed Zahid Aziz, Additional Director Generals Samia Saleem, Zeeshan Shabbir Rana, Muhammad Khizar Afzal, Chief Engineer LDA Asrar Saeed, Chief Engineer Tepa Saif-ur-Rehman, Chief Metropolitan Planner Waheed Ahmad Butt and representatives of the provincial local government, Housing, P&D and Finance Departments as well as of Commissioner Lahore Division.

Officials said total resources of LDA (UD Wing) during the fiscal year 2017-18 have been estimated at Rs38.6 billion. This amount will also include development expenditure of Rs28.58 billion. They said this development expenditure includes Rs13.51 billion through LDA’s own sources, Rs14.64 billion to be provided by the Punjab government for executing various development projects under Annual Development Programme and deposit works and Rs540 million through LDA’s own sources for carrying out development schemes exclusively in three districts Sheikhupura, Nankana Sahib and Kasur.

Officials maintained that an amount of Rs4.49 billion has been allocated through LDA’s own sources for carrying out development works in LDA housing schemes. This include Rs01 billion for LDA Avenue-I, Rs390 million for construction of road network, water supply and sewerage in Finance & Trade Centre, Johar Town, Rs2 billion for LDA City and Rs1 billion as lump-sum provision for development projects in different LDA housing schemes. These projects will include construction of underpass at railway crossing near Gurumangat Road, Gulberg, remodelling of junctions and U turns at Moulana Shoukat Ali Road, Khayaban-e-Firdousi and Khyban-e-Jinnah and other development schemes.

Officials maintained that a sum of Rs1.40 billion has been allocated for construction of different buildings, including Rs800 million for construction of a new LDA office building at Johar Town, Rs100 million for office at LDA Avenue-I and Rs150 million for additional construction work at Park & Shop Plaza, Moon Market, Allama Iqbal Town.

Furthermore an amount of Rs350 million will be spent on Development and Implementation of Integrated Computerised Systems for LDA. They said shifting of Fruit & Vegetable Market, Kot Lakhpat will cost Rs250 million, a sum of Rs100 million has been allocated for preparation of integrated strategic development plan for Lahore and construction of pedestrian bridges at different locations in the city will cost Rs170 million.

Officials said a total of Rs6.08 billion have been allocated for kicking off new projects in the provincial metropolis, an amount of Rs2 billion has been reserved for construction of Twin Towers Project at Jail Road and Rs100 million for construction of underpass at Shahkam Chowk, Defence Road.

LDA will execute project for construction of another tower at Jail Road at a cost of Rs1.70 billion while development of park, shopping and food court at Johar Town will cost Rs1 billion.

LDA will also execute different projects under the Annual Development Programme of the Punjab government and other deposit works amounting to a total expenditure of Rs14.63 billion while a sum of Rs10 billion has been allocated for carrying out civil works, allied works and shifting of services for Lahore Orange Line Metro Train Project.

Officials added that other allocations include Rs100 million for construction of approach road from Burki Road to Ashiyana Iqbal, Rs50 million for widening and improvement of Badian Road, Barki Road and adjoining approach roads, Rs50 million for construction of a new link road for joining Lahore–Multan Motorway to Multan Road, Rs50 million for construction of structure plan road from Expo Centre to Bahria Town/Ring Road (Parallel to Canal Bank Road), Rs50 million for construction of structure plan road from Expo Centre to Khayaban-e-Jinnah, Rs82.5 million for consultancy services for preparation of master plan for water supply, sewerage, drainage & ground water management system for Sheikhupura, Kasur and Nankana districts and Rs2.75 billion for establishment of 12 sports complex in different constituencies of national assembly. Lahore Development Authority has also allocated a sum of Rs540 million, through its own sources, for carrying out development projects in three districts of Sheikhupura, Kasur and Nanaka Sahib.

For Wasa, the officials said it was accepting total receipts of Rs14.93 billion in the financial year 2017-18 while the estimated expenditure is Rs15 billion, including Rs5.22 billion for development schemes. They said Wasa will spend a sum of Rs3 billion for on-going development schemes. An amount of Rs210 million will be spent for development scheme in NA-127 District Lahore, Rs170 million for improvement of water supply system in MA Johar Town and Tajpura zones of Lahore through zoning / isolation, installation of filtration plants and 100% metering (bulk, distribution and consumer levels), Rs132 million for energy saving in water supply system in Lahore (energy saving through replacement of inefficient & outlived 105 tube-wells in Wasa, Lahore), Rs100 million for restoration of original cross-section (40 feet) of Sattu Katla Drain from Ferozepur Road to Peco Road, Rs40.77 million for preparation of master plan for water supply, sewerage and drainage system for Lahore PC II, Rs100 million for sewerage system from Larechs Colony to Gulistan-e-Ravi, Lahore, Rs150 million for provision of sewerage system for UC-117,118 and 120 Lahore, Rs100 million for establishment of SCADA system at tube-wells, disposal and lift stations for Wasa Lahore, Rs113.5 million for installation of filtration plants on 105 tube-wells, Rs286.5 million for replacement of tube-well in Wasa Lahore, Rs200 million for storm water drainage system from Haji Camp to River Ravi via Laxmi Chowk, Mcleod Road, Nabha Road, Chauburji and Sham Nagar, Lahore, Rs7 million for installation of water filtration plant and re-boring of tube-well in Ittehad Colony Gulberg, Lahore, Rs134.3 million for provision of clean drinking water, sewerage system, PCC and allied facilities in Ravi Road, Islampura and adjoining abadies, Lahore, Rs100 million for provision of clean drinking water, sewerage system, PCC and allied facilities in Sheran Wala Gate, Fazal Park and adjoining areas, Lahore, Rs100 million for provision of clean drinking water, sewerage system, PCC and allied facilities in Allama Iqbal Town, Canal Park and adjoining localities, Lahore, Rs140 million for provision of clean drinking water, sewerage system, PCC and allied facilities in Shimla Pahari and adjoining areas, Rs130 million for provision of clean drinking water, sewerage system, PCC and allied facilities in Chohan Colony, Singhpura and adjoining areas, Rs190 million for provision of clean drinking water, sewerage system, PCC and allied facilities in Sabzazar and adjoining areas, Rs100 million for provision of clean drinking water, sewerage system, PCC and allied facilities in Shahdara and adjoining areas, Rs100 million for provision of clean drinking water, sewerage system, PCC and allied facilities in Ganj Bazaar, Gulistan Colony and adjoining areas, Rs125.1 million for laying of lateral and branch sewer in Shadi Pura, Rs65.8 million for provision of clean drinking water, sewerage system, PCC and allied facilities in Walton, Hussainabad and adjoining areas, Rs119.2 million for Changa Pani Programme (Phase-II) / community participation programme and Rs75 million for replacement of outlived, deeper and inadequate water supply lines with HDPE pipes, Lahore (Gastro Phase-II).

Officials said that Wasa will spend Rs453 million on new development schemes. These allocations include Rs100 million for improvement of sewerage system in areas adjacent to Saggian Road Shahdara, Rs200 million for provision of arrangements of sewerage for Aashiana Housing Scheme, Rs20 million for providing / fixing of Hypo chlorinators on 200 TWs of Wasa, Rs33.2 million for preparation of feasibility study and detailed engineering design regarding sewerage & drainage system for localities along Charrar Drain, Rs5 million for providing and laying of Tuff Tile in street No.7 to 10, Block-C of Marghzar Colony UC-109, Rs30 million for provision of water supply in Shadipura, Qalandar Pura, Tanveera Abad, Rs30 million for provision of sewerage system for UC-71 & 93, in PP-149 and Rs35.1 million for rehabilitation / improvement and construction of drains in different areas of Bhummay Jugian Village in drainage sub-division North-II Wasa, LDA, Lahore.

Officials concluded that Tepa will have a total of Rs4.42 billion at its disposal whereas its expenditure has been estimated as Rs4.17 billion, including development works costing Rs3.81 billion.

Meanwhile, LDA’s governing body also approved PC-I worth Rs33 billion for carrying out development works in the new housing scheme LDA City. This amount will be spent for construction of roads, water supply and sewerage systems, electrification and other infrastructure in the phase-I of the scheme. Spreading of an area of 31,000 kanals, Phase-I of the scheme will consist of five sectors.