River Ravi project construction halted on Lahore court’s orders
LHC tells authorities to wait for environment agency s approval SAMAA | Shahid Hussain - Posted: Jan 2, 2021 | Last Updated: 3 months ago SAMAA | Shahid Hussain Posted: Jan 2, 2021 | Last Updated: 3 months ago
A view of River Ravi. Photo: Online
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The Lahore High Court has ordered the authorities to halt the construction of the Ravi Riverfront Urban Development project till the environment department submits its report on it.
The court said that the construction should begin after all environment agencies have reviewed the project and give their approval.
On December 4, Prime Minister Imran Khan was informed the Frontier Works Organisation and the National Logistics Cell have started the work on the project.
The writer is a former member of the prime minister’s economic advisory council, and heads a macroeconomic consultancy based in Islamabad.
PAKISTAN has been beset with severe challenges on a wide number of fronts for the past several decades, ranging inter alia from poverty to pollution, climate change and water stress. These near-existential challenges require ‘big’ responses in scale as well as scope. To be successful, the responses need to be underpinned by resources and the means to deliver. These include both fiscal resources as well as a minimum threshold level of state capacity. They also need to be sustained over a protracted period of time.
In this Aug file photo, Prime Minister Imran Khan launches the Ravi Riverfront Urban Development Project. APP
LAHORE: The Punjab government has excluded all existing industrial units and residential settlements from the land acquisition plan for the Ravi Riverfront Urban Development Project. However, the settlements within the riverbed will remain part of the plan.
“Following Prime Minister Imran Khan’s directions, the existing industrial units have been exempted from the area notified for Ravi Urban Development Project. These industries will now continue to function at their present places as usual and will not be relocated for this project. Moreover, the residential localities not falling in the course of the river will also not be acquired,” S.M. Imran, official spokesman for the Ravi Urban Development Authority (Ruda), disclosed this in a meeting with local industrialists at Mehmood Booti near Ring Road on Saturday.
Punjab Chief Minister Usman Buzdar says the PTI government came into power for providing relief to a common man and user charges could not be reconsidered right now. Twitter/File
LAHORE: The Punjab cabinet on Thursday approved extension of the lease of state land in Cholistan and Rahim Yar Khan on previous rates to the UAE president.
The cabinet’s 39th meeting presided over by Chief Minister Usman Buzdar was of the view that the initiative of extending lease would further strengthen ties between Pakistan and the UAE.
The meeting gave approval in principle of Rs5 billion loan to the Ravi Urban Development Authority for acquiring the land. It also approved state land for the master plan of the Ravi Riverfront Urban Development Project. The authority will present its business plan and financial model for the purpose.
Rs5b loan approved for Ravi Riverfront land
Simplifies NOC process for installation of petrol pumps
Chief Minister Punjab Usman Buzdar. PHOTO: NNI
LAHORE:
The Punjab cabinet has given principle approval of Rs5 billion loan to the Ravi Riverfront Urban Development Authority (RUDA) for land acquisition.
The 39th cabinet meeting was held under the chair of Punjab Chief Minister Sardar Usman Buzdar at
CM’s Office on Thursday. LDA Vice Chairman S M Imran and RUDA Chairman Rashid Aziz gave the briefing to the cabinet about Ravi Riverfront Urban Development Project.
It also approved for providing state land for the master plan of Ravi Riverfront Urban Development project. The authority will present its business plan and financial model for this purpose.