ISLAMABAD: The city managers on Tuesday presented a rosy picture to Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif regarding development activities in the federal capital, and vowed to take up the solid waste management project and a new initiative to ply 160 electric buses.

Presiding over a meeting regarding development projects in the capital, the prime minister directed the Capital Development Authority (CDA) to accelerate the pace of the development projects without compromising on transparency and quality work.

Like some previous managements of the CDA, the current one also made tall claims of improving civic facilities in the city with some initiatives, including the much-needed projects regarding solid waste management.

Interestingly, the federal capital, which is believed to be one of the planned cities in the country, has no landfill site. As a result, the solid waste of the city is dumped in open places, close to residential areas.

The CDA further claimed that for the rural and urban areas of Islamabad, a short-term solid waste management project would commence in June this year whereas an international tender has been floated for solid waste management under a long-term plan.

The prime minister directed that a comprehensive solid waste management plan should be presented before the federal cabinet for approval. “Practical steps should be taken for the provision of best infrastructure and transport facilities to the residents of Islamabad,” the prime minister directed.

The PM directed the relevant authorities to make efforts for extending global standard facilities to the citizens of the capital. The meeting was attended by Minister for Finance Ishaq Dar, Minister for Interior Rana Sanaullah, PM’s adviser Ahad Cheema, PM’s special assistant Tariq Bajwa, Hanif Abbasi, Dr Tariq Fazal Chaudhry, Anjum Aqeel, former MNAs, the CDA chairman, secretaries, and other senior officials, the PM’s Office media wing said in a press release.

The meeting was apprised that in the rural areas of Islamabad, works to the tune of the Rs10 billion package were being carried out. The PM was apprised that a total of 160 electric buses will be plied on different routes and a batch of 30 electric buses will arrive by the mid of June to ply on two routes.

Addressing the participants, PM Sharif said that overseas Pakistanis were the “precious assets of the country and their welfare was among the top priorities” of the government.

The meeting was apprised that a number of housing units equipped with the latest facilities were being constructed in the federal capital for the overseas Pakistanis, while residential schemes for expatriates were also being initiated in which they would be given a concession of 15 per cent if they made the full payment.

However, the name of the schemes meant for overseas Pakistanis was not mentioned.

The meeting was informed that a total of 45 commercial plots located at the best locations in Islamabad were also ready for auction.

It may be mentioned that many critics of the CDA suggest that instead of selling land, the civic body should launch income-generating projects to overcome its financial issues.

Published in Dawn, May 24th, 2023