ISLAMABAD: The federal government has raised concerns as the budget for the financial year 2023-24 fails to allocate any funds for new development schemes in the capital city, Islamabad, under the Capital Development Authority Public Sector Development Program (2023-24).
In recent years, the city managers have relied on their own resources, primarily through the sale of commercial plots, to fuel development projects. However, this year, the federal government has completely overlooked the development of the federal capital.
A glaring example of this neglect is the under-construction project on 10th Avenue, which will likely remain stalled for another year. The federal government has allocated a mere Rs 400 million against the project’s remaining cost of approximately Rs 8.8 billion.
The Capital Development Authority (CDA) has been making progress on several development projects within the city, self-funded through its own resources. However, the construction of the federally-sponsored 10th Avenue project has faced setbacks due to inadequate funding from the federal government through the PSDP.
With a total cost of Rs 12.13 billion, the project received an allocation of Rs 1.48 billion from the CDA in 2020-21, allowing it to commence with full momentum. However, last year, the city managers failed to secure substantial funding from the federal government, leaving the project in limbo.
A senior officer from the CDA revealed that an allocation of over Rs 5 billion was required to maintain the planned progress on the 10th Avenue project. Shockingly, the government only allocated Rs 400 million, which effectively halted the project.
The groundbreaking ceremony for this project took place in December of the previous year, with a scheduled completion date set for September 2023, within 21 months. However, sources indicate that the project is significantly behind its planned progress, and completion may be delayed by 2-3 years.
The prolonged delay in completing this project not only deprives citizens of the intended benefits but also imposes price escalations on the public exchequer.
Furthermore, the CDA’s future plans include constructing a road from Srinagar Highway to Khayban-i-Iqbal/Margalla Road, which will eventually link up with Rawalpindi’s Leh Expressway.
Meanwhile, the federal government has allocated a mere Rs 29 million out of the total cost of Rs 278 million for feasibility studies on the Bhara Kahu Faizabad and Rawat-Faizabad Metro Bus projects.
Additionally, a project worth Rs 10 billion for the construction of the Rawat-Faizabad Metro Bus has been excluded from the PSDP this year.
However, an allocation of Rs 350 million out of the total Rs 1,192 million has been made for the operation management and maintenance of the Metro Bus service to the New Islamabad International Airport (NIIA).
In another development, the federal government has set aside the remaining cost of Rs 350 million for the construction of the Korang Bridge and PWD underpass on the Islamabad Expressway, both of which are nearing completion.
Sources indicate that the failure lies with the CDA’s finance wing, which could not effectively persuade the federal government to allocate funds in the development budget. Although the CDA has been managing projects using its own resources, relying solely on this approach may create financial constraints for the authority in the future.
Source: The Nation
