Daily Times

ISLAMABAD: The first-ever mayor of the Islamabad Metropolitan Corporation (IMC), Shaikh Ansar Aziz, will attend the groundbreaking ceremony for rehabilitation and up gradation of IJ Principal Road today (Monday).

Earlier in March this year, the Capital Development Authority (CDA) awarded Rs 168 million project for the rehabilitation and up gradation of the road. The project includes carpeting of the road from Pindora Chungi to GT Road, lane marking and provision of missing facilities alongside the road.

The project encompassed up gradation of drainage system on both sides of the road, whereas uplifting of green areas along the road is also part of the project.

Meanwhile, talking to Daily Times, Mateen Tahir, media adviser to Islamabad mayor, said, “It is our first project, which we are going to execute and it will be completed in four months.” He said that there was a dispute on the execution of this project between CDA and IMC, which had been resolved through discussion between the CDA chairman and the mayor.

“We have invited both Interior Minister Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan and Capital Administration and Development Division (CADD) Minister Dr Tariq Fazal Chaudhry to attend the event.”

A rift earlier was erupted between the CDA and the IMC over execution rights of the project after the shifting of the Road and Market (Maintenance) Directorate from the CDA to the IMC. This tug of war is being cited one of the major reasons behind the delay in the execution of the project.

It was not the only matter in which the metropolitan corporation and civic body were facing each other, but a large number of important and significant issues related to city’s development is still suffering due to the confrontation of the two bodies.

Both the bodies locked horns when it was decided to transfer 49 directorates of the CDA to the first-ever metropolitan corporation. As per decision 23 fully while 26 directorates were partially devolved to the IMC.

However, labour and officers’ bodies of the CDA approached the Islamabad High Court to seek verdict against the devolution. The court, however, instead of deciding on the matter, referred it back to the government, with directions to revisit the devolution process by taking all stakeholders onboard.

IJ Principal Road is one of the important roads of the federal capital as it receives heavy traffic round the clock. The road acts like a jugular vein not only for the residents of the twin cities, but also for the rest of the country.