Plan to involve private sector in Leh Nullah expressway project dropped

RAWALPINDI: In a new development, the Punjab government took a U-turn and decided to construct the Leh Nullah and Flood Channel through government funds instead of involving the private sector.

A senior official of the Rawalpindi Development Authority (RDA) told Dawn that earlier the construction of the channel on public-private partnership (PPP) mode had been approved under which the government would procure land while a private company would construct and operate the expressway.

However, he said, a new plan had been prepared and the project would be launched in the next fiscal year, adding that for an environment impact assessment (EIA), a public hearing would be held on May 11.

“Under the new plan, the Punjab government would allocate Rs65 billion for the construction of the Leh Nullah and dual carriageway while Rs25 billion would be spent on land acquisition. The expressway will stretch from New Katarian on I.J. Principal Road to Soan Bridge near Lahore High Court (LHC) Rawalpindi bench,” he said.

Centre to bear 60pc, Punjab 40pc of total cost, official says

The official said the total width of the concrete nullah and dual carriageway at New Katarian would be 55 metres and it would gradually increase to 80 metres at the ending point near Soan Bridge.

“The federal government will provide 60pc of the fund while the Punjab government will bear 40pc of the total cost,” he added.

The official said earlier PC-I for land acquisition and structural compensation amounting to Rs25 billion had been approved by Ecnec in its meeting held on December 22, 2021, and administrative approval was given on January 19, 2022.

However, he said Ecnec approved the project with conditions that the EIA study would be conducted before the project execution.

He said EIA would be carried out and its conditions fulfilled prior to the launch of the project, adding that the implementation period of the project was six months.

In an earlier plan, commercial buildings and zones were to be constructed under the urban regeneration programme.

On the directives of the government, Nespak was preparing the plan of urban regeneration along the nullah.

“The basic aim of urban regeneration was to reduce the cost of land acquisition which the government considered was still high,” the official said, adding that the government had estimated that Rs35 billion would be required for the Leh expressway project.

But the plan was shelved when the political crisis deepened in the country and the MNA from Rawalpindi

Sheikh Rashid Ahmed, who is also interior minister, wanted to start the project before the dismissal of the PTI government.

About the PPP mode, the senior official said there were fewer investors interested in the project because urban regeneration plan along Leh Nullah was time consuming and difficult to collect land from the private land owners.

When contacted, RDA Chief Engineer Dr Habibullah Randhawa confirmed that the new plan was being made for Leh expressway project.

He said the government wanted to start the project as soon as possible and had decided to construct concrete structure and roads along the nullah.

To a question, he said the Public-Private Partnership Authority would soon take up the matter to cancel the project launched under the PPP mode. He said public hearing for EIA would be held on May 11 and till then a detail plan would be completed.