Ring Road victims stage protest

Rawalpindi:The people affected by the Ring Road project have staged a protest demonstration in front of Commissioner Rawalpindi Division office here on Monday.

The protesters alleged that the government has changed the map of Ring Road project. The map designed during the regime of former chief minister Punjab Shahbaz Sharif was the best one, in which their residential lands of villages were not effected, but sitting government has changed the whole map in which Ring Road passing through their houses and land.

Talks about the price of land between protesters and district administration ended without a decision. They continued ‘sit-in’ in front of Commissioner’s office till the filing of this report. The protesters along with lawyers wanted to meet with Commissioner Captain (r) Muhammad Mehmood but security officials did not allow them to meet him. The protesters carried banners and placards in their hands raised anti-government slogans on the occasion.

The Ring Road Action Committee (RRAC) President Syed Fayyaz Hussain Gillani along with some other people met with Additional District Collector Revenue (ADCR) Captain (r) Muhammad Shoib, but talks about the price of land ended without a decision. Harsh words were exchanged between protesters and ADCR during talks.

The Punjab government has released funding for the acquisition of land for the Ring Road. Land acquisition from the G.T. Road to the Hakla inter-changer will cost Rs6.7 billion, with around 14,600 kanals of land to be acquired in 27 villages.

The protesters included Malik Muhammad Altaf, Malik Muhammad Nadeem, Raja Aziz Kiani, Chaudhry Muhammad Javed, Malik Ibrar Hussain, Chaudhry Jahangir and several others said that the government was snatching our land rather to purchase it. The Punjab government is giving us Rs150,000 against Rs2,000,000 for 1-kanal land.

The district revenue department has also imposed Section 4 of Punjab Land Revenue Act in several villages and banning sale and purchase of land for the construction of Ring Road.

According to district administration, 14,600 kanals land would be acquired for the project. Section 4 had been imposed in villages, including Chak Belly Mor, Buga Sangral, Baga Miana, Ghora Bharta, Mera Bharata, Chak Thoha, Losar, Chak Khas, Davari, Kotla Sunia, Gahi Mira, Khengar Kalan, Bhatti Nardian and Hoshial.“Land acquisition for the road project will cost approximately Rs4 billion.”

The Ring Road would be 64 km long. The road, costing about Rs60 billion, will start from Radio Pakistan at G.T. Road in Rawat and will meet Motorway at Thalian. From Thalian, it will stretch to Sangjani on G.T. Road.