Rawalpindi Ring Road: Former Punjab CM did not approve project

ISLAMABAD: The Rawalpindi Ring Road (R3) project had not been approved by former Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif as stated in the minority fact-finding report-- which has been adopted and is being implemented by the government-- the official record shows.

The former chief minister had taken to China a concept paper of the project in order to seek funding from the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB) and it remained just that until his government stepped down in 2018.

The Rawalpindi commissioner’s minority report says these feasibility studies were actually the proposed alignment on which M/s Zeeruk was hired by the Rawalpindi Development Authority (RDA) to prepare the detailed design for the construction of the R3. Since the summary was submitted on the basis of NESPAK’s proposed alignment and the approval was granted by the (former) chief minister on the strength of duly made comments by various departments and the P&D board chairman, it is therefore the chief minister-approved alignment. Ever since, no other alignment has the same status, the report said.

This approval, the report said, may very well be construed as an approval by the government “unless it is proved that in the previous government stricto sensu compliance of the Supreme Court judgment in the Mustafa Impex case widely prevailed in matters of a similar nature. Any changes in the essentials of this alignment, except detailed designs etc., therefore, would require the chief minister’s approval before proceeding any further.”

However, according to official documents, what Shahbaz Sharif had approved on the recommendation of various departments was that the R3 project be entrusted to the Rawalpindi Development Authority (RDA) for execution. But the project itself had not got his approval.

Documents show that on October 20, 2017, the 24th Provincial Development Working Party (PDWP) recommended the concept paper of the project for its onward submission and approval by the Planning Commission of Pakistan.

On March 7, 2018, the additional secretary of the communications and works (C&W) department of the Punjab government moved a summary for the approval of the chief minister for the construction of the R3 by the RDA.

The C&W had been asked to present various infrastructure projects to be showcased for the AIIB. The P&D Department shortlisted the construction of the R3 as the potential project for consideration of the AIIB mission visiting Pakistan in March 2018.

The concept paper was submitted to the P&D Department and the same was cleared by the PDWP on Oct 20, 2017. It was subsequently forwarded to the Planning Commission on Nov 6, 2017 by the P&D Department for placing before the Central DWP.

The summary pointed out that the R3 project was originally conceived by the RDA and is part of the master plan for Rawalpindi city. In 2016, the Punjab government decided to undertake the R3 project on the Public Private Partnership (PPP) mode through the RDA. M/s NESPAK, KPMG etc., were hired for the feasibility study, preliminary design and transaction advisory services. The current alignment was finalised by the RDA after detailed studies of different routes by the consultants. After that, the Punjab government decided to take up this project through the AIIB loan.

The AIIB mission visited the site of the R3 project on Feb 27, 2018 along with field officers of the C&W Department, RDA and local administration. The AIIB delegation held technical discussions in the C & W Department the next day with engineers from the C&W, RDA, NESPAK and representatives of the Rawalpindi Commissioner. After discussion, it transpired that further studies were required to take up the project on a loan mode.

The summary recommended that the project may be entrusted to the RDA owing to various reasons. It was stated that the Rawalpindi Commissioner could get it executed more efficiently by on-spot decision making. Further studies could be taken up through the revision of the approved PC-II of the RDA. Relocation of utility services, land acquisition and coordination would be more efficient if the project was taken up by the RDA; and post-completion operation and maintenance will be more effectively done by the RDA.

On March 12, 2018, the P&D chairman wrote that the proposed transition of contract administration and management of the project's execution activities may involve some technical and operational constraints and hence the proposal requires a review by the Housing, Urban Development and Public Health Engineering Department (HUD&PHED) being the administrative department. He recommended that the summary be routed to the HUD&PHED to add its comments before forwarding it to the chief minister for consideration/approval. The HUD&PHED secretary did so without any change in the document.

On March 21, 2018, the P&D chairman wrote to the chief minister that under its present conceptual version entailing detailed appraisal for launching this flagship public sector initiative under the PPP mode, significant efforts were again undertaken by the RDA.

The proposed alignment has resultantly been finalized after extensive surveys and traffic modelling studies by the consultants engaged for the purpose, “nevertheless enabled by necessary technical backstopping from the RDA.”

He said that given the nature of this mega project, since its implementation would involve formidable resettlement and relocation of utility services etc. “Related activities/tasks requiring a very wholesome resettlement action plan as well as warranting for acquisition of land free of all encumbrances to set out mobilization of project’s execution, an optimum institutional regimen to administer project’s execution suggests the project be spearheaded institutionally by RDA.

However, since C&W Department through its vast experience of execution of Lahore Ring Road Project as well as other large conventional and PPP-based projects in the roads sector has gained significant domain expertise, it may augment RDA’s capacity through seconding requisite HR/professional manpower from the department for attachment with RDA for successful implementation of the project.” After that, the chief minister approved that the R3 project be handed over to the RDA.