Rs39 billion LDA budget approved, Source

LAHORE, July 12: Lahore Development Authority’s governing body on Thursday approved Rs39 billion budget for LDA and attached civic agencies, allocating more than Rs31 billion for projects under the Annual Development Programme (ADP). The body at its meeting presided over by LDA vice-chairman Aamir Asghar Dar estimated Rs38.94 billion as collective resources of LDA, Wasa and Tepa.

LDA: Entire resources of LDA’s Urban Development Wing during the fiscal year 2012-13 have been estimated at Rs11.90 billion and expenditure at Rs11.24 billion.

This amount will include development expenditure of Rs8.9 billion — Rs2.50 billion for the Lahore Roads Rehabilitation Programme, with Rs1.1 billion for construction of new roads and Rs1.30 billion for the ongoing projects.

The authority will spend Rs1.50 billion on infrastructure in LDA Avenue-1 and Rs550 million on the construction of Trade and Finance Centre in Johar Town and Al-Madina Road (from Maulana Shaukat Ali Road to Barkat Chowk).

An amount of Rs350 million has been allocated for priority works in the new budget. LDA will spend Rs170 million on the construction of a sports complex in D-2 Block of Johar Town. Construction of a community centre in Garden Town will cost Rs183 million.

Other projects include construction of pedestrian bridges in Model Bazaar (Gujjarpura), car parking plaza in Moon Market, Allama Iqbal Town and maintenance of roads in housing schemes.

WASA: It expects receipts/income of Rs5.12 billion and expenses of Rs8.34 billion in the new fiscal year.

The development schemes to be launched under the Wasa ADP are improvement/rehabilitation of the drainage system on Multan Road and establishment of Punjab Water Sanitation Academy. Funds have been allocated for the drain passing through the Punjab Institute of Cardiology, provision of water, sewerage and drainage system to union councils 117 to 120, replacement of outlived, deeper and inundated water supply lines (Gastro Project Phase-II), block allocation for Waste Water Treatment Plant Project, ongoing schemes, restoration of original cross section of Sattokatla Drain from Ferozepur Road to Peco Road and Lahore Water Supply, Sewerage and Drainage Improvement Project.

TEPA: It will have a budget of Rs22.95 billion at its disposal, whereas its expenditure has been estimated at Rs21.92 billion, including development work worth Rs21.62 billion.

Development projects of Tepa include the Bus Rapid Transit System project, underpass at Railway Crossing on M.S. Ali Road, improvement of Maulana Shaukat Ali Road from Canal to Ferozepur Road, construction of a road from Khayaban-i-Jinnah to Valencia Town (Phase-I) and maintenance/installation of traffic signals in the city.