Rs. 1b mega project of dualization of Sialkot-Wazirabad main road lying incomplete

SIALKOT, Rs. 1 billion mega project of construction and dualization of 26 KMs long Sialkot-Sambrial-Wazirabad road still remains incomplete despite the passage of seven consecutive years due to which people and traders have been suffering from great ordeal.

Requesting anonymity, the concerned officials of Sialkot Highways department said that lack of funds was the major cause behind this inordinate delay in the completion of this road project. They added that the sky-rocketing price hike in the country has also almost doubled the cost of this project from Rs. 1 billion. They revealed that the early provision of the needed funds would be helpful in completing this project till end of 2011. The then Chief Minister of Punjab Ch. Pervaiz Elahi had laid the foundation stone of this project in 2004. The concerned officials said that as many as three bridges had to be constructed over this main road. But, the bridges' construction has not yet been started while the road's construction was continuously lying incomplete for the last six consecutive years.

The project was to be completed in a stipulated period of two years, but hardly the 50 percent work of this project was yet completed, as the PML-Q provincial government was changed in Punjab. The construction of the drain Naullahs and service road has also not yet been started here. Local traders, industrialists and exporters were of the view that this nasty situation was halting the pace of the trade activities in the region, while the people have been suffering from several throat, chest and stomach diseases due to the clouds of dust were louvering over this area, as the road was dug up by the construction company but lying badly dilapidated there. Meanwhile, the managements of Sialkot Chamber of Commerce and Industry (SCCI), Sialkot Dry Port Trust and Sialkot International Airport have expressed grave concern over this inordinate delay in the com! pletion of this project, urging the Punjab Chief Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif to take serious notice of this situation and ensure its early completion.