RAWALPINDI: The district revenue department has imposed Section 4 of the Punjab Land Revenue Act, stopping the sale and purchase of land in areas where three flyovers and three underpasses will be built to ease traffic congestion in the city.
According to a senior district administration official, 32 kanals of land will be acquired for the projects at Kutchery Chowk, Iftikhar Janjua Road, and Jinnah Park on Old Airport Road. Section 4 was enforced to make the land acquisition process smooth.
The Punjab government has approved the construction of the projects at a total cost of Rs14.5 billion.
The official said that the Kutchery Chowk project, which includes two flyovers and one underpass, will cost Rs6.6bn, while the Jinnah Park underpass and flyover will cost Rs5.2bn. The Iftikhar Janjua Road underpass is expected to cost Rs2.7bn.
He added that land sales in the marked areas will remain banned until the acquisition is completed. The government has also released an initial Rs2bn to start work.
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Rana Qamar Ali, Executive Director of the Punjab Highway Department, confirmed the imposition of Section 4. He explained that the law allows the government to acquire land for road construction and related facilities.
He said the projects are vital to reducing traffic pressure and improving travel time for commuters in Rawalpindi.
The land to be acquired includes portions of Fatima Jinnah Women University, tax and commissioner’s offices, police lines, Jinnah Park, and some military and private land.
He added that the government has instructed designers to minimise structural disruption while finalising the flyover and underpass plans.
The land acquisition process will begin soon following the notification of Section 4.
