RAWALPINDI: Commissioner retired Capt Mohammad Mehmood on Monday said that the companies interested in getting contract for Rawalpindi Ring Road under public-private partnership can submit their proposals by April 12.

He said a committee would be formed soon which would open and evaluate the bidding proposals.

He said more than Rs3 billion compensation for the people holding land along 31-km-long track of the Rawalpindi Ring Road would also be announced this week.

He said this while presiding over a meeting held here at commissioner’s office to review the progress on Rawalpindi Ring Road project.

Rawalpindi Development Authority (RDA) Chairman Tariq Mehmood Murtaza, RDA Director General, retired Capt Abdul Sattar Issani, Director Finance and Development Nazia Parveen Sundhan, Deputy Project Director Rawalpindi Ring Road Mohammad Abdullah and other officers concerned were present in the meeting.

Mohammad Mehmood said two months ago compensation award worth Rs1.5 billion was announced for the land owners and now distribution of cheques had been expedited and the Patwaris had been given weekly payment target.

He said out of 29 mozas, 27 have been transferred to the government.

He said that the Rawalpindi Ring Road project had been designed in the best public interest and a detailed briefing is being prepared in which the public would be informed by the revenue staff about changes made in the design to save maximum houses, mosques and graveyards.

He said the pathways connecting different villages have also been protected by designing underpasses for the Ring Road project.

He said that after completion of the project, a new era of development would begin particularly in the surrounding areas of the Ring Road.

The commissioner said the Ring Road would not only be a road network but it would be complete package having industrial zones, bus and truck terminals, education and health city and other state of the art facilities.

Later, details of bidding process of the project and other related issues were discussed during the meeting.

Meanwhile, the commissioner visited the ‘Awami Khidmat Kutchery’ at the tehsil office Raja Bazaar.

Deputy Commissioner (DC) retired Capt Anwarul Haq and additional deputy commissioner revenue accompanied the commissioner during the visit.

The commissioner and the DC reviewed the procedure being carried out to address the complaints and issued directives to provide relief to the complainants.

Mr Mehmood said Awami Khidmat kutcheries were being held to provide direct relief to the citizens which had reduced pending revenue cases considerably, the commissioner added.

Published in Dawn, March 2nd, 2021