CHAKWAL: While projects such metro bus service have been completed, mega projects seen as needs by citizens remain in doldrums.

The latest instance is the Mandra-Chakwal Road (63.25km) and Chakwal Sohawa Road (70km) project which was launched twice, first by prime minister Raja Pervez Ashraf and later by Nawaz Sharif but failed to see progress.

The project was supposed to be completed within two years at a hefty cost of Rs10 billion.

When on September 6, 2012, then Prime Minister Raja Pervez Ashraf launched the project for making these two major arteries of the area as dual carriage-way, the officials claimed that the project would be completed within two years. But legalities caused delays.

Later, after a green signal by the Supreme Court, the project was resumed in July 2014 and on July 16, Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif inaugurated the project again in Dhudhial town. The prime minister also approved construction of a bypass road.

While briefing the prime minister, the concerned authorities, said the project would be completed within 18 months. However, the prime minister directed officials to complete work in 12 months. The proposed width for the two roads was also increased from 6.1 metres to 7.3 metres.

Mr Sharif’s instructions created obstacles as a number of electricity poles, trees, gas and telephone lines as well as shops, houses and graveyards came in the way. The National Logistics Cell (NLC) could not start work until these were removed and consequently Rs940 million, meant to be spent in the last fiscal year, lapsed.

“The NLC did not seek funds from us and Rs940 million lapsed as it could not be spent,” an official of Pakistan Public Works Department told Dawn.

“These funds could be utilised to clear arrears of concerned departments such as Iesco, Forest, PTCL and Sui Gas. These funds could also have been used to compensate shop owners who would lose property because of the road widening project. Land for the proposed bypass could have also been acquired with this money,” the official said.

On the other hand, an NLC official said there was no delay by his organisation. “We cannot speed up work until the obstacles are cleared,” he said.

He added that his organisation is doing work on some patches where the space is available.

A No-Objection Certificate (NOC) for a flyover at the railway crossing in Murid village near Mandra has also not been issued by Pakistan Railways and shopkeepers at the proposed site of the flyover have thwarted work five times by staging protest demonstrations.

“If the current situation prevails, the project which was to be completed in July 2015 would not even be finished by July 2016,” an official said.

Pak PWD Executive Engineer Mohammad Qanateer Ahmed said work was delayed because of the laziness of officials in forest department, Sui Gas, Iesco and PTCL. “They did not remove their installations despite receiving compensation. I wrote many letters to forest department officials asking them to remove trees but to no avail.”

Chakwal Divisional Forest Officer Sheikh Saqib said scores of trees had been uprooted. “Many houses, shops and poles have become hurdles in the removal of trees,” he claimed.

Published in Dawn, August 10th, 2015

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