Over Rs15bn uplift schemes approved

LAHORE:The Provincial Development Working Party (PDWP) has approved four development schemes worth over Rs15 billion on Thursday.

These schemes were approved in the 50th meeting of the PDWP presided over by Planning and Development (P&D) Board Chairman Barrister Nabeel Ahmad Awan. The meeting was attended by Secretary P&D Board Dr Asif Tufail, Chief Economist Mr Masood Anwar, members of the P&D Board, and other senior officials.

The approved schemes included Construction of the Arterial Main Secondary and Distribution Network in the Eastern Part of the City (Linked with the AFD Funded Extension of Water Resources in Faisalabad City Phase-II Project) at a cost of Rs8.451 billion, GIS-Based Protection Regime and Establishment of a Digital Communication Cell in the Forestry, Wildlife, and Fisheries Department at a cost of Rs1.2 billion, Establishment of an Eco-Tourism Facility at Lal Suhanra National Park, as per International Best Practices (Conservation of the Desert Ecosystem), at a cost of Rs2 billion and construction of a Green Building for EMC, EPD, and Allied New Entities Established under PGDP (DLI-2, PGDP) Lahore at a cost of Rs3.724 billion.

Meanwhile, the PDWP cleared Punjab Arterial Roads Improvement Programme (PARIP) (Revised) at a cost of Rs202.458 billion and construction of Ghabir Dam, Chakwal, Punjab, at a cost of Rs23.182 billion and forwarded these schemes to Central Development Working Party (CDWP) for its approval.

Walton Road project: Disposal station made functional

Central Business District (CBD, Punjab) has completed major connections and made Disposal Station One fully functional as part of the Walton Road up-gradation project. Work on the disposal station was temporarily halted following the directives from the Lahore High Court (LHC) and the government of Punjab to combat smog. With the relaxation of smog restrictions, construction activities have resumed in full swing and the critical backfilling process has commenced.

The disposal station’s backfill, a technical and intricate job, is progressing in line with standard engineering practices and is expected to be completed soon. Project Director Asif Babar highlighted the complexity of the project, stating “The construction of Disposal Station One was a challenging task involving major diversions of sewerage lines and the ADA Nullah. Punjab CBD has successfully completed the connection of ADA Nullah and the major trunk sewer, ensuring the system’s full functionality.”