Punjab Chief Minister Sardar Usman Buzdar on Monday accorded principle approval to 8km-long southern loop-III of Lahore Ring Road project from Adda Plot to Multan Road which will be completed with a cost of around Rs 10 billion through public-private partnership. He directed the concerned officials to complete this project in one year and added that one million trees will be planted around the Ring Road.
He expressed these views while inaugurating the Lahore Ring Road Authority Office Complex here on Monday. Provincial Ministers Mian Mahmood-ur-Rasheed, Asif Nakai and Hashim Dogar, Malik Asad MPA, ACS, Secretary Information, Secretary Services, CCPO Lahore and others were also present on the occasion.
On the occasion, he inspected various sections of the office complex and planted the sapling. He also inspected the intelligence traffic system. Commissioner Lahore Division Mujataba Paracha, who is also the chairperson of Lahore Ring Road Authority, gave a briefing to the chief minister. He told the CM that 23km-long Lahore Ring Road Southern Loop-I and II have been completed in a period of 12 months through public-private partnership.
"The control room of Lahore Ring Road Authority will be linked with the safe city project," he added. Meanwhile, the CM presided over the governing body meeting of Lahore Development Authority (LDA) in which LDA City Phase-I project was given an approval and it was decided that the plotting work will be completed in eight months.
The meeting was attended by Punjab Housing Minister Mian Mahmood-ur-Rasheed, Planning and Development Chairman, LDA Vice Chairman Sheikh Muhammad Imran, LDA DG, Punjab Local Government Secretary, Commissioner Lahore, members of Punjab Assembly Umer Aftab and Muhammad Atif, Sadia Sohail, Secretary Housing and other members of the governing body of LDA. On the occasion, he directed to fully implement the recruitment quota of special persons and the meeting also decided to digitalize the file system. Moreover, the meeting was told that three bus terminals will be established through public-private partnership in the provincial metropolis. The CM also directed the concerned officials to constitute a committee for hiring consultant for Lahore Division Master Plan-2040 and other issues. While addressing the meeting, the chief minister said that repair and maintenance of roads under the control of LDA should be completed on priority basis and the task of devising rules and regulations for constructing high-rise buildings in the city should be completed soon.
The CM directed that special attention should be paid to the beautification of entry and exit points of the city and the traffic-jam points at the entry roads of the city should be identified. "Necessary steps should be made for uninterrupted flow of traffic at entry points and practical measures should be adopted instead of paperwork. Any delay in public welfare projects will not be tolerated," he added.
He said that installation of road-signs at various roads should be completed early, as road-signs are necessary to guide the citizens. During the meeting, the CM was briefed about the steps being taken by the LDA. It was disclosed that a consultative committee will be constituted for formulating policies for planning of high-rise buildings. The proposal of excluding other districts from the jurisdiction of LDA was also deliberated upon.
Moreover, steps are being taken to uplift the business centers of the city and roads are being widened to ease access to market places. The meeting was also told that trained staff will be deputed for fire fighting in the markets and awareness campaign is also being launched for creating awareness about the cleanliness and beautification of market places.