RAWALPINDI: Despite announcement in the annual development programme (ADP) six months ago, the provincial government has so far failed to release funds valuing millions of rupees to the garrison city’s civic agencies and departments concerned for many development schemes.
Of these schemes, one is construction of 54 family rooms for Adiala Jail’s married inmates at the cost of Rs 114.525 million.
Sources have said 87 acres land had been acquired by the prison administration for the rooms but the provincial government had yet not released even a single penny for the purpose.
They said the ADP had the Rs 86 million allocations for three major road projects in the city but no funding could be given to Rawalpindi Development Authority (RDA) for the last six months.
The sources said other major projects for which relevant agencies had been awaiting funding included the Rs 50 million construction of Nullah Leh Expressway and Flood Control Channel, the Rs 30 million for carrying out feasibility study of Access control Rawalpindi Ring Road II (City Boulevard) development and the Rs 6 million for the feasibility of the development of Link Road from Airport Road to Lahore High Court Rawalpindi Bench on GT Road.
They also said the provincial government allocated Rs 343.569 million for three major water supply and sewerage projects but had released no money to Water and Sanitation Agency (WASA).
According to them, the ADP has the Rs 198 million allocations for supplying drinking water to Sadiqabad, Muslim Town, Khurram Colony and adjoining areas; Rs 70 million for construction of sewerage network in the city, and Rs 75.569 million for replacement of outlived waterlines under the Islamabad Highway and other rusted, leaking waterlines from Rawal Dam filtration plant to the city along with provision of diesel generators and provision of independent 11 KVA Feeder at Rawal Dam’s filtration plant, but the respective civic agencies had been awaiting release of money since July.
The sources cited financial constraints as the reason behind the government’s failure to provide Rawalpindi’s civic bodies with the allocated money. They said a major chunk of the government money (around Rs 10 billion) was spent on food subsidy during the current fiscal’s first six months.
They said the Sasti Roti Scheme had landed the government in great financial trouble, as it was launched without proper planning.
