RDA chief vows to weed out corruption from Authority

Rawalpindi : The newly appointed chairman of Rawalpindi Development Authority (RDA) and former MPA, Arif Abbasi has vowed to wipe out totally from his department with zero tolerance through effective and practical measures.

In a briefing with the newsmen here Monday, Arif Abbasi referred several examples sensed in RDA with particular reference to building department and housing societies existing in Rawalpindi city and its adjoining areas.

He dilating ways and means for action against illegal housing societies said that he would first hold meetings with their owners to ask them to regularise their schemes. Similarly meetings would also be held with owners of legal housing societies and those who have applied for regularisation of their schemes with RDA.

He said demolition process against illegal societies is not a solution because it cause loss only to the clients who had spent their hard earned money to purchase plots. A system would be enforced to resolve the issue of fake housing societies in Rawalpindi.

Similarly, a close observation would be carried out on the officials over their working and performances. If anybody is involved in any corrupt, malpractices enquiries would be conducted and their cases would be referred to institutions like FIA, NAB and even police. I have taken over the charge to weed out corruption from RDA and other related local government bodies by following the mission of our PTI leadership and prime minister of Pakistan, Imran Khan. The officials have been specially directed to provide time to people for resolving their grievances as RDA, WASA and PHA are public bodies.

The chairman also expressed concerned over what he claimed deficiencies and inefficiency witnessed in WASA. This water department is not charging water tariff from housing societies which incurs a loss to this agency. We will first adopt austerity measures by spending less expenditure. It would help in covering financial losses to a greater extent. We would not put burden on consumers rather would adopt such measures for saving and generating revenue on departmental basis.

To a question that no increase in water tariff has been made by Wasa over the last 9 to 10 years, he said that first working would be started to save annual expenditure to over come financial losses. Until the last option we have decided not to touch our consumers. Measures would also be taken to improve water and sewerage system. I have directed concerned official to submit report to him about the running of Wasa and spending of expenses.

When this correspondent questioned whether steps are being taken to construct Lai Expressway, Arif Abbasi told that his first priority would start working on Ring Road to ease traffic flow in Rawalpindi. He expressed concern that why in the past work on Ring Roads were not initiated despite making feasibility reports. I have asked the RDA officials to submit report on Ring Road project to assume the reasons why work on this project was not started. He said the previous government of Punjab instead of working on projects of water supply , improvement in sewerage and education sections, laid emphasis only on Metro Bus which compared to others was not so vital. He informed that Rs50 billions were spent on Metro Bus and the government is suffering loss of Rs6.2 millions per day on buses. It was being covered through subsidy. The same amount could have been spent on improvement of education sectors and water supply which are more important than running metro buses, he said.