LAHORE: The Punjab government has transferred the Communication and Works Department director (admin and works-II) and posted him as the Rawalpindi Development Authority (RDA) chief engineer to launch Rs104 billion Nullah Lai and Rs30 billion Ring Road projects.

The officer, who also worked as the Lahore Development Authority chief engineer last year, has been assigned a special task to immediately remove all bottlenecks in the way of kick-starting the critical projects stuck for the last few years. The government transferred C&W director Mr Habibul Haq Randhawa (BS-19) and posted him as the RDA chief engineer. He has also been asked to take charge of the RDA chief engineer office with an immediate effect.

According to a notification, the officers’ appointment has been made for a period of three years.

“Mr Habibul Haq Randhawa (BS-19) presently working as director (A&W-II), Punjab Highways Department (Central Zone), is hereby transferred with an immediate effect and posted as Chief Engineer (BS-20) in RDA in his own pay and scale on deputation basis for a period of three years”, reads the notification.

It is pertinent to mention that the Nullah Lai project cost includes Rs24 billion for land acquisition, resettlement or relocation of the affectees. The project, which could not start due to various technical, administrative and funding issues, has a 16.5km long dual carriageway/expressway along the banks of the Lai drain, lining and channelization of the drain, construction of bridges and culverts along the drain to connect several localities with the expressway, construction of commercial centres, and development of green areas along with the Nullah Lai. The Punjab government has also allocated Rs55 billion for the project in its annual development programme 2021-22. The expressway would end at Pindora locality after starting from Ammar Chowk.

As far as the Rawalpindi Ring Road project is concerned, the Punjab Anti-Corruption Establishment (ACE) in July, arrested former commissioner of Rawalpindi retired Capt Muhammad Mahmood and land acquisition collector Abbas Tabish for their alleged involvement in the ring road scam. According to the ACE, neither approval was sought from the Punjab chief minister for alignment of the ring road, nor any no-objection certificates were taken from the Capital Development Authority and the National Highway Authority. The ACE says in its investigation that the design of the project was changed to add new interchanges and the length of the road was increased from 22km to 68km and the last two kilometres would fall under the Islamabad Capital Territory.

There are also reports that the ring road’s new alignment was designed to allegedly benefit more than 50 influential people, including developers (realtors) who had also purchased 64,000 kanals reportedly.

Published in Dawn, December 27th, 2021