‘Ring Road, Leh Expressway projects to be launched this year’

Rawalpindi : Rawalpindi Development Authority (RDA) Chairman Tariq Mahmood Murtaza on Wednesday said that Rawalpindi Ring Road and Leh Expressway projects would be launched this year.

Talking to media persons here he said that RDA was working on fast track on both the projects and all the planning of Rawalpindi Ring Road project had been completed, expressing the hope that Prime Minister Imran Khan or Chief Minister Punjab Sardar Usman Buzdar would launch the Ring Road project in November or December.

He said, RDA had received Rs6.5 billion from the Punjab Government for land acquisition for Ring Road project.

The alignment work of the project had been completed, he added.

He informed that the project would have special zones including industrial, educational, recreational, medical health, residential and aerotropolis, etc along with the Ring Road to decongest the city and set a new direction for growth of the city, which is a key component of the ring road project.

To a question he said, RDA would acquire land for the project, which would be completed under public private partnership basis.

He said, the Prime Minister Imran Khan would be given a presentation on Nullah Leh Expressway project within few days and he would decide about model for the project.

The Leh Expressway would help ease traffic flow in the city, he added.

A sewage treatment plant would also be constructed at Goraghpur, near Adiala Jail at 5,000 kanals land.

He said, the authority had been directed to leave no stone unturned to serve the citizens of Rawalpindi.

He further informed that the One Window Operation Center of RDA was being computerized to facilitate the citizens.

The chairman said the programme was launched few month ago and the center would start receiving online applications from the citizens soon.

The step would not only facilitate the local residents but also overseas Pakistanis.

He said the RDA was taking solid steps for facilitation of the citizens.

The Complaint Cell/One Window Operation in RDA was established to provide expeditious relief to the general public.

Direct access of the general public to RDA functionaries was banned and all the petitions/applications are received through One Window.

Entire record of the housing societies was also being computerised, he informed.

“We are working on ease of doing business project in accordance with the vision of the Prime Minister Imran Khan,” he said.

The chairman said that Water and Sanitation Agency (WASA) had completed de-silting and dredging work of Nullah Leh before start of monsoon rains this year.

He informed, WASA was given Rs40 million grant by the Punjab Government for dredging work of Nullah Leh but, the agency completed the task spending an amount of Rs30 million.

He said, “I appreciate the performance of WASA.”

Managing Director, WASA, Raja Shoukat Mehmood on the occasion said that the agency is going to sign an agreement with one-link to facilitate the citizens.

The agreement would enable the citizens to pay their water bills through their mobile sets, he said adding, WASA Rawalpindi would be first one in Punjab which would provide the online payment facility to the residents.

He said, work on Ghazi Barotha project has also been kicked off which would help end water crisis in Rawalpindi City areas.