SIALKOT, Jan 25: The provincial government has scrapped the Lahore-Sialkot Motorway (LSM) project due to a paucity of funds and the revenue department has lifted a ban on sale/purchase of Rs5 billion land acquired for the project four years ago.

The department, however, has directed its officials that while disposing of the land, owners from whom the land was initially acquired be given preference in lieu of consideration paid to them.

The Board of Revenue has rescinded its notification regarding acquisition of land for this project. Earlier, the government had allocated Rs5 billion in the 2010-2011 budget to reimburse the owners from whom the land had been purchased. However, this amount was diverted to some other projects.

Also, the government spent Rs300 million on preparation of feasibility of the LSM project which was later expanded to Kharian in Gujrat district.

Former Punjab Public Accounts Committee chairman Chaudhry Azeem Noori Ghuman, former National Assembly speaker Chaudhary Amir Hussain, former provincial minister Muhammad Ajmal Cheema, former district nazim Muhammad Akmal Cheema said that the PML-N government had politicised the project. They alleged that PML-N government scrapped the project for political gains.

The then president, General Pervez Musharraf, had laid the Rs23 billion project's foundation stone on April 11, 2007. The project cost, however, swelled to Rs40 billion owing to inordinate delay in its execution.

The owners of the 'acquired' lands, however, said that they had been paid nothing during past four years, which had caused them huge financial losses as neither the government allowed them to cultivate their lands nor it executed the project which could have brought some development to their areas.

Some of the owners, including Malik Yaqub, Ch. Abdul Hamid, Muhammad Boota, Riaz Ahmad, Maqsood Alam, Bashir Ahmad and Allah Rakha, alleged that the government was treating them discriminately by delaying the payments.

Sialkot Chamber of Commerce and Industry (SCCI) president Ghulam Mustafa Chaudhary also expressed grave concern over the scrapping of the LSM project. Talking to Dawn, he said the decision would prove detrimental to industrial development and growth. He demanded restoration of the project in supreme national interest.

WAZIRABAD ROAD PROJECT: The dualisation of Sialkot-Wazirabad Road is still incomplete despite the passage of seven years and, according to highway officials, lack of funds had caused this delay. The then chief minister, Ch. Pervaiz Elahi, had laid the project's foundation stone in 2004.

The officials said that three main bridges were still to be constructed as part of the project. Beside these bridges, 50 per cent over all work was yet to be carried out. The construction of drains and service roads has not started even.

Local traders, industrialists and exporters have demanded completion of this project at the earliest. Managements of the SCCI, Sialkot Dry Port Trust and Sialkot International Airport Limited have urged Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif to take notice of the delay.

FOG: Dense fog blanketed the entire district on second consecutive day on Tuesday, hampering trade and civic activities. Attendance in government and private offices and educational institutions remained thin. However, people braved this cold and misty weather amid hours-long electricity and gas outages.

RESCUE: The Punjab Emergency Service (Rescue-1122) has imparted training to 5,015 citizens under the Safe Sialkot Programme to enable them to combat any emergency. It was revealed during a meeting of the District Emergency Board.

During the meeting, DCO Mujahid Sher Dil directed the Daska TMO Tahir Nadeem Sandhu to ensure launch of the Rescue-1122 service in the tehsil headquarters city at the earliest.