LAHORE: The Punjab government’s reluctance to kick start the construction work of Ring Road Southern Loop 3 (SL3) has caused approximately Rs 15 billion loss to National Exchequer, BOL News has learnt.
It is pertinent to mention that former Chief Justice Lahore High Court, Qasim Khan had vacated all the stay orders which were acquired to stop the construction work of SL3 in March this year. However, Lahore Ring Road Authority (LRRA) has still not received the green signal from the provincial government to initiate the project, causing a loss of at least Rs 10 billion to the National Exchequer.
“It has been four months since the stay orders had been vacated, but the bureaucracy and provincial government are in no mood to initiate the SL3,” a senior official alleged while speaking to BOL News on condition of anonymity. “Ëven the committee comprising Punjab’s Law Minister Raja Basharat and Chief Secretary Punjab are helpless and are unable to initiate it, apparently to facilitate a private housing society owner..
The official added that the estimated cost of this project is increasing with every passing day. “In 2018, the cost of SL3 was expected to be Rs 8 billion, but the estimated cost increased to Rs 10 billion in June last year when National Logistics Cell (NLC) signed an agreement in the presence of Prime Minister Imran Khan. However, no progress has been made on this front and the cost is now it is approximately Rs 15 billion.
According to the official documents, the NLC won the contract in June last year and was supposed to be given the possession of land by the end of December last year. “The LRRA and NLC reached a concession agreement on June 13 last year after which LRRA had to provide the land for the construction of SL3,” the official recalled. “But nearly seventeen months have passed since the agreement signing ceremony. So what will be the new cost now and who will pay the cost, that is the question,” the official said.
Another senior official added if the provincial government and the bureaucracy continue with the dealing tactics the cost is expected to go upto Rs16-20 billion. “That would be a huge loss to the National exchequer,” he said.
When asked, why the private housing society is objecting to this project, the senior official said, “SL3 is an 8kms long project, from Raiwind Road to Maraka on Multan Road and a section of the loop would pass through the private housing society. So the owner of the society feels that the construction of the loop will destroy the look of the private housing society, and after the completion of this project, it would give an impression as if the society is divided into two parts,” he said.
The senior official commented that the only reason which could be ascertained for the delay of SL3 is to accommodate the private housing society. “Ötherwise this project is just an approval away,” he said. “Ëveryone knows that the private housing society people have been filing cases in courts since 2016 under different names but donot want to come out in the open.”
The senior official further disclosed that the government has already paid for the land which caused a dispute between the LRRA and the housing society about two years ago. “In October 2018, the then Commissioner Lahore Muhammad Mujtaba also carried out an operation to retrieve the land,” he added.
Sources told BOL News that this project is of great importance for the masses of the country and approximately 50,000-60,000 commuters are likely to benefit from it daily.
According to the facts obtained, the SL3 project would save lot of time for the commuters since heavy traffic coming from the south would be able to travel towards Kasur without entering Lahore,” said the official. “SL3 will also save time for the local commuters travelling between Ferozepur, Raiwind and Multan roads.
When contacted to inquire about the delay in construction of SL3, Commissioner Lahore and the Chairperson of LRRA, Captain (retd) Muhammad Usman said, “I hope you know that I currently do not have the charge of chairperson Ring Road. So since I do not have the charge, I can only push this agenda in the higher echelons in the capacity of commissioner.“I have done this in the past too and will pursue it further,” he assured.
