Shaikhupura: Prime Minister Imran Khan on Friday visited the site of the Ravi Urban Development Project. He showed his displeasure to the management of the project for not presenting their case before the court in letter and spirit expressing the resolve of his government to complete the mega project by presenting the RUDA case in the Apex Court in a better way. He said the $20 billion urban development project is the second planned city after Islamabad. The mega-development project, the PM said would create thousands of jobs, reasonable living for the masses besides reducing pressure on the already overpopulated provincial metropolis. The PM visit to the site of the project came right after the Lahore High Court decision declaring the project illegal and unconstitutional. The court said that there was no master plan of the mega project and it was plundering the rights of the citizens who were being forcefully deprived of their agricultural land for the sake of urbanization. The court also directed the management of the project to hand back the Rs 5bn loan it had acquired from the Bank of Punjab.
The PM said that the $20 bn investment in the city would promote several other sectors besides providing a number of jobs. He said, “We need to set up new cities in view of the growing population, otherwise we will not be able to provide civic facilities to people.” He added that the project will also have a positive impact on the environment because under the project 20 million trees would be planted in the Rakh Jhok Jungle which would increase the underground water level and help save the Ravi River. Talking on the occasion the PM said that there is a misperception among the masses that The Ravi Riverfront Development Project is a Housing Scheme, it is rather a planned city like Islamabad.
The PM paid a day-long visit to Lahore and was also given Briefing on Central Business District at Walton. He also presided over a meeting regarding development projects in Faisalabad Division. The PM said that the completion of the Faisalabad Special Economic Zone would increase foreign investment. He also added that the incumbent government is taking all possible measures to attract foreign investment in the country. Punjab Chief Minister Sardar Usman Buzdar, Federal Minister for Planning, Development and Special Initiatives Asad Umar, Federal Minister for Information and Broadcasting Chaudhry Fawad Hussain, State Minister for Information and Broadcasting Farrukh Habib, SAPM Shahbaz Gill also attended the meeting. The PM directed the concerned authorities to make the province attractive for the investors, especially the Chinese investors who want to move their business to Pakistan. It is to be mentioned here that the incumbent government has launched several projects of construction, housing, tourism, and Industrialization to boost up economic activities besides creating job opportunities.
