ISLAMABAD: The multi-billion under-construction 10th Avenue project is likely to miss its extended deadline next month as work on the project continues at a snail’s pace.

The Rs10.2 billion project was launched in 2022 under the Public Sector Development Programme (PSDP) by the Capital Development Authority (CDA) and was supposed to be completed by March this year.

However, CDA extended the deadline till December, but it is likely to miss its new deadline next month.

Apparently, the project is no more on the government’s priority list as only 34pc of the construction work has been completed so far.

Contractor, CDA blame funding shortage for slow pace of multi-billion rupees project

Meanwhile, funding for the project also depicts a sorry picture as the federal government released only Rs3.5 billion during the 2023-24 fiscal year.

Officials Dawn spoke to said that for the fiscal year 2024-25, it was expected that a substantial amount would be allocated for this stalled project to be completed.

“However, the government earmarked only Rs400 million. This allocation shows that the mega project is not going to be completed at least in this fiscal year,” they asserted.

So far, out of the said Rs400 million, the federal government has released only Rs60 million, they added.

When asked about the progress of the project, one of the officials said: “The project is facing delay mainly due to funding issues. The work is in progress but at a very slow pace.”

Describing the situation, he went on to say that “you can say we [CDA] and the contractor are keeping each other busy with the slow pace of work.”

The official said whenever we pressed the contractor – National Logistic Cell (NLC) – to expedite the work, it asked for more funds to be released.

“Unless the government does not release the required funds, this project cannot move forward and will likely be kept in limbo,” he said.

Earlier, in May this year, the NLC had requested the CDA for a price adjustment formula, stating that its quoted bid rates for the year 2020 were practically no longer viable.

The NLC also called for an implementation of the price adjustment formula approved by the Pakistan Engineering Council (PEC) and Executive Committee of the National Economic Committee (Ecnec) in 2023.

Under the first phase of the project, a 5km road is being constructed from the Katarian Bridge on Karnal Sher Khan Road to the Srinagar Highway near the intersection of the G-9 and G-10 sectors in the federal capital.

In the second phase, the avenue will be constructed from the Srinagar Highway to Margalla Road.

The 10th Avenue is part of the city’s master plan which mandates the construction of an avenue after every sector, just like the 7th Avenue between sectors G-6 and G-7, Faisal Avenue between G-7 and G-8 and 9th Avenue between G-8 and G-9.

After 9th Avenue, the CDA has failed to construct any other avenues.

When contacted, CDA’s media director Shahid Kiani said the main hurdle in the execution of the project was the shortage of funding from the federal government for PSDP-funded projects.

“We are actively pursuing the project with the federal government. If CDA receives the requisite funding, the construction work on the project will be expedited,” he said.

Published in Dawn, November 28th, 2024