RAWALPINDI, Feb 24: Gearing up for the elections, local politicians have gone on a spending spree, utilising maximum funds, in order to reap dividends at the polls.

In one such case, Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) MPA Shaheryar Riaz, elected from Dhoke Ratta, has gotten installed a filtration plant at Kashmiri Bazaar, at the cost of one million rupees.

The filtration plant is installed at an odd spot —middle of three roads — and without taking permission from Rawal Town Municipal Administration (RTMA).

On the other hand, residents have their own view.

“Yes, we need clean drinking water but not at the cost of blockage of the main road. The government should not construct filtration plants on main roads as it would create traffic jams,” said Mohammad Shafique, a resident of Nanakpura.

“Earlier the civic agency dumped garbage collected from the area and now constructed a filtration plant, which creates problems for the residents because it blocks space,” said Sohail Ahmed, a resident of the Kashmiri Bazaar.

In another case, PPP MPA Rana Rizvi – a wife of Ibne Rizvi PPP local leader – installed a filtration plant, also on a busy road in Trunk Bazaar, at the cost of Rs7.5 million.

But the machinery has been gathering dust as WASA failed to get it started, even after six months.

While residents and officials agree that the aim and objective to provide potable water in the downtown area is a good one but the selection of the site creates problems for the people.

An RTMA official not wanting to be named said that the lawmakers worked without any planning and they were spending public money on such schemes in a hurry, which created problems for the people.

He said that in some areas of Rawal Town, the PML-N lawmakers were spending money without any planning and some roads and streets were constructed twice in a year just to accommodate the funds allocated to them.

“Service Road along Benazir Bhutto Road near Shamsabad Park, Dhoke Ratta, Khyaban-e-Sir Syed Road, Dhoke Dalal Road, Gunjmandi Road, Gowalmandi Road, Sherpao Colony Road were constructed twice in the last fiscal year,” he said, giving examples.

“Two filtration plants established at Fawara Chowk and College Road Chowk had been demolished for the construction of a road, under the development package of MNA Shakil Awan last year,” he said.

However, MPA Shaharyar Riaz told Dawn that he had installed a filtration plant for the welfare of the people. He said that the area residents demanded water filtration plant in the area.

“It will provide opportunity to local food outlets and workshop workers to have clean drinking water facility,” he said.

On the other hand, Raja Shaukat, WASA Managing Director, while talking to Dawn said: “I am not aware of the issue. I will check the record why the filtration plant was installed in the middle of road.” When contacted, Rawal Town Administrator Saif Anwar Jappa said: “The filtration plant — in the middle of the road — was installed without the permission of RTMA”. He said that the RTMA had written a letter to WASA and asked for an explanation. He said that action would be taken against the construction, if it created hurdles in the smooth running of traffic in the area.