LAHORE: Chief Minister Sardar Usman Buzdar on Monday inaugurated the Rs 659.2 million three-lane Gulab Devi Underpass Lahore, and announced to name it after the famous social worker Abdul Sattar Edhi. The Chief Minister also announced on the occasion to build a Rs 50 billion elevated expressway and Rs 6.5 billion multilevel entry and exit points at Shahdra Morr to minimize the congestion of traffic over there. The Gulab Devi underpass would facilitate the movement of around 132,000 vehicles and resolve the traffic issues faced especially by the thousands of patients of Gulab Devi Hospital, Children Hospital, Social Security Hospital, and General Hospital. PTI Punjab President Shafqat Mahmood, Provincial Ministers Murad Raas, Asad Khokhar, Ejaz Alam, and Mian Aslam Iqbal, PTI Leaders from the city, and senior officials of Lahore administration were also present at the ceremony.
The chief minister also lauded the efforts of the DG LDA and other members of Governing Body on completion of Abdul Sattat Eidhi Underpass well before the deadline. The CM also added that by ensuring transparency during the execution of the project the provincial government saved millions of rupees. He further added, “ Meanwhile, more than Rs9.16 billion rupees were being spent to complete three major projects in the provincial metropolis. An additional lane was being built at Lahore Bridge near Children Hospital while the work on Data Ganj Bakhsh flyover is in progress at a cost of Rs4.90 billion and 2.54 billion would be spent on Shahkam Chowk Flyover Project. Alongside, the expansion of Sagian Road will be completed with Rs3.40 billion, and the Main Boulevard Gulberg to Walton Road Defence Chowk will be made a signal-free corridor with Rs3 billion. An underpass and flyover at Karim Block in Iqbal Town will be built at a cost of Rs2.90 billion.”
The CM lamented that the previous government started projects worth billions of rupees with heavy subsidies without caring about public money. He said the Orange Line Project was also completed by his government by arranging necessary funds. He continued, “ The past government conceived projects without caring for the welfare of the people, and subsidies to the tune of billions of rupees had to be given to run them. The public transport scheme should have been finalized after proper study. Around billion rupees were being given to six projects as subsidies, including to Orange Line Metro Train, metro bus system and feeder route system.”He also highlighted the four major projects recently completed by LDA worth billions of Rupees including Lal Shahbaz Qalander Underpass and Bab e Lahore, Data Gang Bakhs Flyover, and Shahkam Chowk Flyover. He said that three more ongoing projects in the provincial capital would be costing Rs 9.16 billion.
