Five roads to be built with private partnership

Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz Sharif on Sunday launched five road projects under the Punjab Public-Private Partnership (PPP) Authority, handing their management and operations over to the private sector in a move expected to generate Rs22 billion in revenue for the provincial government. The chief minister performed digital inauguration of the 80-kilometre Muridke-Narowal, 33km Shakargarh-Narowal, 97km Faisalabad Ring Road, 52km Faisalabad-Sahianwala and 56km Faisalabad-Samundri-Rajaa road projects. Under the arrangement, electronic toll plazas will be established on the roads. Private contractors will collect tolls, linked with the National Highway Authority (NHA), for seven years and will also be responsible for the maintenance, repair and rehabilitation of the roads. PPP Authority Vice Chairperson Senior Minister Marriyum Aurangzeb briefed the chief minister on the projects and plans. The government said the processing time for PPP projects had been reduced from two years to six months. Four more roads between Bahawalpur and Yazman (42km), Yazman-Ahmedpur East (43km), Raiwind-Changa Manga (28km) and Gajjumata-Kasur (26km) will also be transferred to the public-private mode. The authority is also processing projects in water and sanitation, tourism, healthcare, education, waste management, transport and sports. These include water and sanitation projects in Chakwal and Kasur, a Time Travel Park in Lahore, an FMD vaccine plant, a parking plaza and multimodal commercial facility at Badami Bagh, and a bridge over the Sutlej at Sahoka Patan. Partnership projects have also been planned for solid waste management at fruit and vegetable markets through black soldier fly larvae plants, management of 100 sports grounds and allied facilities, and construction of a modern truck terminal in Faisalabad. The projects in pipel8ne include girls' and boys' hostels at Punjab University and 28 other public sector universities, three medical colleges, and 14 hostels for working women across the province. A nursing hostel will also be built at Sahiwal Teaching Hospital, while the operation and development of Fareedia Park in Sahiwal will be undertaken under the framework. Other proposed projects include hospitals, parks, sports grounds, waste-to-energy schemes, effluent treatment plants in industrial zones, parking plazas, tourism facilities, water supply and recycling as well as the development of a Zarafa Café and food streets. The chief minister was informed that divisional working parties headed by commissioners would be empowered to approve and implement projects under the mode costing up to Rs500 million.