GUJRAT: The Punjab government has in the last year of its five-year term announced a Rs4.5 billion uplift package for Gujrat with a major chunk of Rs3.6 billion allocated for a complicated flyover around various parts of the city, two pedestrian bridges, an underpass along the railway track among other schemes.

PML-N MPA Imran Zafar and his uncle, Municipal Corporation Mayor Haji Nasir Mahmood, said the chief minister approved various uplift projects for the city that were also included in the Annual Development Programme of the next fiscal year of 2017-18.

The proposed flyover will cover almost all major arteries of the city as it will start from Rehman Shaheed road’s Usman Plaza Chowk to the old civil lines police station chowk along Jalalpur Jattan road. It further extends to Bhimber Road and Court Road from Kutchehry Chowk and will again start from Chowk Pakistan to Nawab Sahib Chowk with its last part starting from Fawara Chowk to Railway Road crossing over GTS Chowk over old GT road.

The MPA said Rs50 million as an initial installment had been issued for the flyover. Efforts would be made to complete its first portion from Rehman Shaheed Road to Jalalpur Jattan by the end of the next fiscal year of 2017-18 and the remaining in phases.

He added that two steel pedestrian bridges had been planned to connect residential localities along both sides of the railway track.

The bridge from Usmanpura to Chah Khole will cost Rs35.6 million and the second from Dera Kunjaian to agriculture office Rs39 million.

He further said that Rs90 million had been allocated to the construction of a railway underpass along Sargodha Road that will connect the people of Khalidabad with the rest of the city to get rid of the railway crossing.

The mayor said that Rs250 million would be spent on the laying of a new sewerage scheme from Prince Chowk to Jail Chowk and Bhimbher Road to Rehman Shaheed Road up to the Rehmania storm water channel, whereas a huge chunk of Rs480 million had been approved for the construction of streets, drains and other uplift projects at the union council level.

The incumbent Punjab government had earlier approved Rs1 billion city package for the construction and rehabilitation of at least 38 roads in the city around four years ago, but so far only five roads from this package could be completed. Rest of the roads were in a dilapidated condition, but the government had not released funds for them.

When asked about the roads, the MPA said that Rs100 million had been allocated in the next development budget to these roads and the government would be requested to release more of those funds.

Published in Dawn, June 6th, 2017