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Punjab Caretaker Chief Minister, Mohsin Naqvi, has stated that the upcoming financial budget will cover a period of four months. He confirmed that funds for the Rawalpindi Ring Road project, as well as the Kutchery Chowk remodeling project, will be allocated in the budget, and work on these projects will commence soon. Additionally, the budget will include allocations for the Rawalpindi Safe City initiative.
During his visit to Rawalpindi, Chief Minister Naqvi laid the foundation stone for the Potohar Enclosure and guest rooms at Rawalpindi Gymkhana. He announced plans to replicate the Rawalpindi Gymkhana model in other cities of Punjab, suggesting that gymkhana clubs should be established in the province through self-help, as this model has proven successful.
Commissioner of Rawalpindi, Liaquat Ali Chattha, expressed confidence that the Potohar Enclosure of the gymkhana will be completed within a remarkably short period. He detailed the facilities that will be constructed, including food halls, a coffee shop, a grand cinema, a table tennis lounge, a snooker room, and a children’s fun zone. The enclosure will also house conference rooms, salons, an administration wing, and a laundry room.
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Under the gymkhana project, 38 guest rooms will be constructed with the support of citizens and the business community of Rawalpindi, with a total cost of Rs550 million. The enclosure will feature a library, food halls, a coffee shop, a grand cinema, a table tennis lounge, a snooker room, and a children’s fun zone.
Present at the ceremony were Punjab Caretaker Minister of Auqaf, Azfar Ali Nasir; Adviser Kunwar Dilshad; Commissioner of Rawalpindi, Liaquat Ali Chattha; Director General of Rawalpindi Development Authority (RDA), Saif Anwar Jappa; Deputy Commissioner, Hassan Waqar Cheema; Director of Development, Nazia Sudhan; and others.
It is worth mentioning that the Punjab government intends to initiate three new development projects in Rawalpindi, namely the Rawalpindi Ring Road, the Safe City Project, and the Kutchery Chowk Remodelling project. RDA has signed an agreement with Asian Consulting Engineers JV with Botek Bogazici Musavirlik Anonim Sirketi (a Turkish company) for third-party validation of the optimal route for the Rawalpindi Ring Road (R3), with completion expected in six weeks.
Regarding the Kutchery Chowk remodelling, the RDA has finalized a contractor, but the work is likely to commence in the next fiscal year. The provincial government had allocated Rs1 billion for the project in the current fiscal year, but it was returned as RDA was unable to utilize it.
Land acquisition for the projects has not yet begun. The Punjab government plans to enter into an agreement with the Safe City Authority to install closed-circuit cameras in Rawalpindi after receiving approval from the federal government. The project is estimated to cost Rs23 billion, with the center and the provincial government sharing the expenses.
It is important to note that the caretaker government is restricted from making decisions on development works until the formation of a new government following the general elections.
