CM inaugurates five road projects under PPP Authority model

LAHORE, Oct 04 (APP):Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz Sharif on Sunday digitally inaugurated five road projects being transferred to the Punjab Public Private Partnership (PPP) Authority, marking a new phase of public-private partnership in the province.

According to a spokesperson, The five road projects, with a combined length of 318 kilometres, include the 80-kilometre Muridke-Narowal Road, 33-kilometre Shakargarh-Narowal Road, 97-kilometre Faisalabad Ring Road, 52-kilometre Faisalabad-Sahianwala Road and 56-kilometre Faisalabad-Samundri-Rajana Road.

Under the PPP arrangement, private contractors will operate the toll collection system on these roads for seven years and will also be responsible for their maintenance, repair and rehabilitation. Modern electronic toll plazas will be established on the roads. The projects are expected to generate Rs 22 billion in revenue for the Punjab government.

Punjab PPP Authority Vice Chairperson and Senior Minister Marriyum Aurangzeb briefed the chief minister about the projects and the authority’s future plans. She said the processing time for PPP projects had been reduced from two years to six months to expedite their implementation.

She informed that four more roads would also be transferred to the PPP mode, including the 42-kilometre Bahawalpur-Yazman Road, 43-kilometre Yazman-Ahmadpur East Road, 28-kilometre Raiwind-Changa Manga Road and 26-kilometre Gajjumata-Kasur Road.

The PPP Authority is also processing projects in various sectors, including hostels, hospitals, parks, sports grounds, waste-to-energy plants, effluent treatment plants, parking plazas, tourism, water supply and recycling. PPP-based water and sanitation service projects are planned in Chakwal and Kasur, while the Tourism Department will establish a Time Travel Park in Lahore under the PPP model.

Other planned projects include an FMD vaccine protection plant to help control foot-and-mouth disease in livestock, a parking plaza and multimodal commercial facility at Badami Bagh Lorry Adda, and a bridge over the River Sutlej at Sahuqa Pattan. A Black Soldier Fly larvae facility will also be established at Punjab’s vegetable and fruit markets for solid waste management.

The authority will further undertake the management of 100 sports grounds and related facilities and develop a modern truck terminal in Faisalabad.

Under the PPP mode, girls’ and boys’ hostels will be constructed at Punjab University and 28 other public sector universities. Hostels will also be built at three medical colleges, while 14 hostels for working women will be established across the province. A nursing hostel will be constructed at Sahiwal Teaching Hospital, while the operation and development of Faridia Park, Sahiwal, will also be undertaken under the PPP arrangement.

The CM was informed that a Divisional PPP Working Party, headed by the commissioner concerned, could approve and implement projects costing up to Rs 500 million.

Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz Sharif appreciated Secretary Finance Mujahid Sher Dil, Secretary Communication and Works (C&W) Raja Jahangir Anwar, CEO PPP Authority Dr Zeeshan Hanif and their teams for advancing the PPP programme.

Provincial Minister for C&W Sohaib Ahmed Bharth, Secretary Finance Mujahid Sher Dil and Secretary C&W Raja Jahangir Anwar also addressed the ceremony.