Rawalpindi: The Rawalpindi Ring Road (RRR) project has once again been handed over to the Lahore Ring Road Authority (LRRA) — with the move having been approved by Punjab Chief Minister Sardar Usman Ahmed Buzdar, according to a news source published on Friday (Sep 11).
Earlier in March this year, the Punjab government had announced that the LRRA would be the authority in charge for the development of the RRR project. However, later in April, the LRRA was prevented from taking over the project, since amendments were underway in the authority’s regulations at the time. This led to the Rawalpindi Development Authority (RDA) becoming the executive agency for this project.
Now, the project has once again been handed back to the LRRA. This essentially means that the authority will be in charge of arranging an open auction for the project’s development by inviting private investors to apply. Once the ring road’s development has been completed, the LRRA will earn a toll tax for the next 30 years, after which the project will be handed over to the RDA. As per the arrangements approved by the CM, the RDA will still be in charge of acquiring land for the project, and setting up and operating the economic zone planned along the road.
Earlier this week, RDA Chairman Tariq Mehmood Murtaza said that the provincial government had released funds worth PKR 52 million to begin the process for the acquisition of land for the RRR. As per the information shared in the press release issued by the development authority, the land acquisition process is expected to be initiated soon.
