Communication and Works Department gets nine road projects in Rawalpindi

The Communication and Works Department in Rawalpindi has been assigned nine road projects, valued at Rs1.6 billion, by the Rawalpindi Municipal Corporation (RMC) due to the civic body's limited capacity to handle the work. The RMC will allocate the necessary funds, while the Communication and Works Department will be responsible for constructing the roads within the jurisdiction of the civic body.

The Divisional Development Working Party (DDWP) has instructed the department to commence the projects promptly and complete them by December 31. Among the nine roads included in the assignment is the rehabilitation of Khyaban-I-Sir Syed Road, which spans 1.6km and will cost Rs213.466 million; Bokra Road, 1.5km and Rs226.454 million; the rehabilitation of 5th Road, 1.74km for Rs138.525 million; Rawal Road from Ali Nawaz Chowk to Murree Road, 2km for Rs241.894 million; Chandani Chowk Commercial Market Road, 0.8km for Rs115.718 million; Railway Workshop Road, 1.2km for Rs247.871 million; China Market-Gordon College Road, 1km for Rs138.318 million; Satellite Town 4th B Road, 0.9km for Rs141.007 million; and the rehabilitation of Band Khana Road, 2.4km for Rs214.417 million.

The divisional administration assigned these projects to the Communication and Works Department to address the garrison city's main road rehabilitation needs, as the RMC lacked the necessary capacity to undertake the work. Additionally, three road projects from the Rawalpindi Development Authority and District Council were also handed over to the Communication and Works Department.

These include the reconstruction of Ch. Bostan Khan Road from Chaklala Scheme-III to Lahore High Court Rawalpindi Bench, the renovation of Chakri Road, and the construction of a road leading to Falcon Chowk along the Islamabad Expressway. The allocation of these schemes to the Communication and Works Department highlights the shortcomings of the RMC in road construction over recent years.

The divisional administration has instructed the department to ensure the quality of construction materials and adhere to the stipulated timeline of December 31. The ongoing shortcomings of the RMC in road construction have been exposed by the recent performance.