Lahore: Punjab Chief Minister (CM) Sardar Usman Buzdar recently received a briefing on the development of new cities under the provincial government’s River Ravi Zone project, a news source reported. Lahore Development Authority (LDA) Director General (DG) Sumair Ahmed Saeed briefed the chief minister with regard to the initiative’s progress.
CM Buzdar directed the officials concerned to create a high-level steering committee comprising federal and provincial government departments, and other stakeholders, in this regard. He said that the committee would review and examine the proposed plan, and submit its recommendations for the project.
Previously, the provincial executive had decided to revive the old River Ravi Zone project – originally proposed by former Punjab CM Shahbaz Sharif – and to develop it along modern lines. The initiative spanning across over 100 acres includes a number of residential and commercial zones, a medical city, a forest reserve, and a central business district.
In December 2019, Prime Minister (PM) Imran Khan had also ordered the development of 12 new cities along River Ravi as part of his government’s efforts aimed at reviving the River Ravi Zone project.
Meanwhile, Buzdar has also sought recommendations for developing a new city around several districts situated near Lahore. He said that they needed an alternate model instead of focusing on just one city for new development projects. He added that building new cities was important for dealing with the increase in local population.
The provincial government is also considering the proposal of selling more than 25,000 acres of the riverfront land to investors in a bid to establish businesses and cultural activities. The official concerned have also proposed to design the new city project along Mughal themes by replicating a few old architectural structures – in order to attract foreign visitors.
