Punjab Updates...

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Work on Ring Road project begins today

RAWALPINDI: Finally, the ring road project is going to become a reality as the Punjab government on Friday hired a private firm as consultant to conduct feasibility study and submit PC-1 of the project in six months.

Commissioner retired Capt Saqib Zafar told Dawn that a joint consortium of Zeeruk (Pvt) Limited and Engineering General Consultant (Pvt) Limited would start work from today (Saturday).

The consortium has been selected from six private firms who had submitted their expressions of interest (EoIs).

Govt hires consultant for carrying out feasibility study in six months

The Rawalpindi Development Authority (RDA) had invited EoIs in May and as many as 26 private companies had submitted their EoIs. The RDA shortlisted six companies--M/s Usmani and Company, M/s Nespak, M/s Associated Consultancy Centre, M/s MPP Pakistan Private Limited, M/s Zeeruk Pvt Limited and M/s Engineering General Consultant (EGC) Pvt limited -- and asked them to submit their financial proposals.

The commissioner said the Punjab government had allocated Rs10 million for the feasibility study.

The commissioner said the provincial government had completed negotiations with Chinese Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB) for loan for the project.

He said the ring road would ultimately ease traffic congestion on city roads and increase trade activities in the Potohar region.

He said the government would procure land and the infrastructure would be constructed from the loan. He said that the government had already allocated Rs4 billion for the land acquisition.

“The consultant will give the real picture of the benefits of the road project for the people,” he said.

He said the consultant would make PC-I and suggest how to end the disadvantages of the project. He said basically the project would end the traffic congestion in the city areas.

The commissioner said besides the Ring Road Project, Leh Expressway Project was also on the agenda of the Punjab government.

He said consultant for Leh Expressway would be hired within next few days.

The commissioner said the 48.5-km-long ring road would start from Chani Sher Alam near Rawat and end at Thalian near Motorway. Basically, goods transport will use the road, bypassing thickly populated areas of the city and the cantonment.

Mr Zafar said this would be an opportunity for the administration to shift the grain market, bus terminals, business centres and establish educational city and medical city along the new artery.

He said that it was an opportunity to make planning for the city as earlier development used to be made by default but now it would be done by design. He said new sites for markets, bus terminals and education and health outlets would be developed which would expand the city.

The estimated cost of the project was Rs42 billion.

The project was initiated 30 years ago in the first tenure of former Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif but the work could not be started due to political reasons.

However, the PTI-led government started the work soon after coming into power in the province.

Published in Dawn, September 7th, 2019

 

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Updates of Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium Renovation underway

 

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Progress Pictures of 1263MW Power Plant, Jhang Under Construction.

This is the 4th RLNG Power Plant started by Government of Punjab along with Balloki, Bhikki & Havel iBahadur Shah Power Plants which are already completed and Operational. Cumulative Capacity of these 4 power plants will be 4896 MW

 

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Forensic Lab , Lahore , Punjab
Status Complete

 

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Sialkot Motorway












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The land is being prepared for plantation under the "10 billion tree tsunami" project in different districts across Punjab.

This will be completed till April 30, 2020

 

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91 KM Lahore-Sialkot Motorway M-11 Likely To Be Completed Next Year. About 70% work of Lahore-Sialkot Motorway has been completed.

The motorway's east bound exits include Lahore, Sialkot Bypass, Kala Khatai, Narowal, Wahndo, Mundeke, Pasrur and Sialkot while its west bound exits include Kala Shah Kaku (M-2 inter-change), Muridke, Eimanabad, Gujranwala City, Daska, and Wazirabad.

 

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PM to lay foundation stone for Jalalpur Canal on 13th December 2019

Prime Minister Imran Khan is likely to lay the foundation stone for the 115.7km-long Jalalpur Canal on December 13th, sources informed Pakistan Today, adding that the canal would help irrigate the areas of Pind Dadan Khan as well as parts of Khushab.

As per the sources, PM Khan is expected to lay the foundation stone for the long-awaited Jalalpur Canal this month, while the Punjab Irrigation Department, along with other concerned departments of the Punjab government, has been making necessary arrangements to hold a ceremony in this regard.

 

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RAWALPINDI: A Chinese company will conduct a free feasibility study for a project to run a circular rail service along the proposed Leh Expressway between Rawalpindi and Islamabad.

The company, the Rawalpindi Development Authority (RDA) and Capital Development Authority (CDA) will work together and will sign a memorandum of understanding (MoU) soon. The Ministry of Railways will coordinate between the company and the local civic authorities, a senior railway official said.

Sources told Dawn that the China Civil Engineering Construction Corporation (CCECC) would conduct a feasibility study to run the rail service along Leh Nullah between the twin cities.

The Ministry of Railways and the CCECC decided to begin work on the project after Railways Minister Sheikh Rashid Ahmed’s official visit to China, where the project was discussed.

Firm, RDA and CDA to work together on train service between twin cities, MoU to be signed soon

“The CCECC management has decided to conduct a survey to initiate a technical and financial feasibility study for the project and local leadership has been asked to take up the project as a priority,” a senior ministry official told Dawn.

He said that Mr Ahmed arranged a meeting with the local administration and senior RDA officials at the company’s request.

“The Punjab government agreed in principle to launch the train project but funds will be allocated in the next fiscal year. The provincial government has less money in the current fiscal budget,” he said.

The RDA has provided a feasibility study conducted for the Leh Expressway project, he said, adding that a team from the company wants to hold a detailed meeting with the Ministry of Railways planning department and the administrations of Rawalpindi and Islamabad to discuss a strategy for the proposed project.

The circular rail would cover all three major points in the twin cities – Saddar in Rawalpindi, Pakistan Secretariat in Islamabad and the Islamabad International Airport – along with other areas along the 25 kilometre Leh Expressway.

On Wednesday, a delegation from the company visited Rawalpindi and met with Commissioner retired Capt Mohammad Mehmood. Mr Mehmood asked the company to carry out the feasibility study and sign an MoU.

According to a press release, the commissioner said the Leh Expressway and circular rail projects will facilitate the residents of the twin cities and the local administration will provide its full support in this regard.

Published in Dawn, December 12th, 2019

 

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LAHORE MULTI STORY BUILDINGS..

 

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In latest news, Punjab's agriculture department plans to spend Rs5 billion to promote the cultivation of oilseed crops, mostly revolving around sunflower, canola and sesame across the province. Whether or not Rs5 billion is enough to change the country's cultivation landscape is another affair, the initiative ought to be appreciated in principle, though of course the move would require a much more deliberated inclusive effort than a single provincial department spending on a one-off five billion rupee project.

Here are some quick hard facts as necessary context. Pakistan produces only 10 percent to 12 percent of edible oil requirements through local crops, varying from year to year, and depending upon whose estimates one trusts. And here is the background maths of it, according to industry estimates.

Total demand for fat in the country is about 4.3 to 4.7 million tons. This is mainly met by direct oil imports (palm oil) of 2.8 to 3.2 million tons. About 0.25 million tons of soybean oil is also imported. Of the rest, about three-fourths is produced locally but from imported seeds, which includes rapeseed, soybean and sunflower. Little wonder then that annual import bill of edible oil and oilseeds was around $3.6 billion or about 6.5 percent of total imports last year. Bear in mind that soybean seeds are also increasingly being imported to meet the growing demand for soybean-based feed – mainly for poultry, and marginally for livestock and fisheries.

Can Pakistan really do something about local oilseed production? Theoretically yes, likely not. Not unless a great change in policy mindset is brought about.

Oilseeds may be grown in high water availability season, but famers naturally prefer to use that season for mainstay crops. In the offseason, oil seeds crops compete with wheat crop, which not only enjoys support price but is also the song, dance and folklore of farmers. Secondly, marketing lines between farmers and seed processers have not been sufficiently established. Oilseeds also do not enjoy necessary extension services by agriculture departments whereas seed type and quality of oil seeds has not been a matter of focus by agriculture research institutes.

And while oilseed imports may be huge, the industry doesn't have as great lobbying power as do other segments of the political economy. Oil seed farmers aren't as big as wheat, rice and sugarcane who enjoy direct or indirect representation in the parliament. Whereas neither oil extractors nor vanaspati manufacturers are as moneyed as the usual big business houses who enjoy heavy clout in the likes of FPCCI or Pakistan Business Council.

Add to that another twist: there are two interest groups within oil seeds. Poultry industry would mainly want local cultivation of soybean seeds, provided it is cheaper to produce soybean locally. Feed is about 75-80 percent of the cost of poultry, of which about 75-80 percent is the cost of soybean meal. Over the last five years, soybean seed imports have hit about $900 million (as a result of poultry-led demand), which is quite a huge number for one single non-fuel tariff line. Overtime if soybean meal is adopted by local livestock industry, then demand for soybean will only grow north, which in turn would create pressure on the government to grow soybean locally.

Channels checks with solvent extractors suggests that they would also prefer soybean cultivation over other oil seeds, because in the case of soybean, both oil and meal are sold at better rates and better volumes. The vanaspati industry, however, is mainly interested in other oilseeds because unlike soybean, other oil seeds have a better oil yield.

 

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Map of Lahore Sialkot Kharian Rawalpindi Motorway