CM Inaugurates Five Road Projects Under PPP Authority Model
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:
- 80-kilometre Muridke-Narowal Road
- 33-kilometre Shakargarh-Narowal Road
- 97-kilometre Faisalabad Ring Road
- 52-kilometre Faisalabad-Sahianwala Road
- 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 highlighted that the processing time for PPP projects has 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:
- 42-kilometre Bahawalpur-Yazman Road
- 43-kilometre Yazman-Ahmadpur East Road
- 28-kilometre Raiwind-Changa Manga Road
- 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
Planned projects include:
- An FMD vaccine protection plant to control foot-and-mouth disease in livestock
- A parking plaza and multimodal commercial facility at Badami Bagh Lorry Adda
- A bridge over the River Sutlej at Sahuqa Pattan
- A Black Soldier Fly larvae facility for solid waste management at Punjab’s vegetable and fruit markets
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, and 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 be established for effective coordination and implementation of these projects.