Encroachment Mafia manages suspension of widening of IJP Road Islamabad
Islamabad, Pakistan: Encroachment Mafia has allegedly managed to suspension of widening of Inter Junction Principal Road (IJP Road) though government gave a commitment at the floor of the National Assembly in February 2016 that work on IJP Road would start in March 2016.
According to a research conducted by Dispatch News Desk (DND) news agency, encroachers have covered state land amounting over three billion rupees at Rawalpindi side of IJP Road from Double Road intersection to New Katarian Chungi point. This stretch of over one kilometer has been encroached mostly by marble sellers, building material sellers and illegal workshop owners. These powerful encroachers who allegedly have support and backing of an important political figure from Rawalpindi of ruling party managed to suspend widening and redesigning of IJP Road thrice in last 10 years because reconstruction work would be possible only after recovery of state land at Rawalpindi side for widening of the said Road.
The issue of the I.J. Principal Road was taken up in the National Assembly in February 2016 through a calling attention notice submitted by two Members of National Assembly (MNAs) and government assured the House that reconstruction work on the road will start next month (March 2016) and will be completed in six months (September 2016).
Calling Attention Notice was moved by MNAs Asiya Naz Tanoli and Zeb Jaffar about decaying condition of I.J. Principal Road,
The parliamentary secretary for interior Maryam Aurangzeb while responding the Notice confessed that IJP Road could no longer cater to the heavy traffic and needed to be improved. Maryam Aurangzeb informed the House that Capital Development Authority (CDA) had issued tenders for the reconstruction of the road, which would open by March 22, and that reconstruction work would be started two weeks after the opening of the tender. She stated that a dual carriageway will be made from Pirwadhai Mor to the Faizabad.
Sources in CDA claim that encroachment mafia got active against widening of the road and managed to reduce the project to carpeting and rehabilitation of existing road. It may be mentioned that IJP Road connects the twin cities of Rawalpindi and Islamabad and caters the traffic going to Kashmir via Murree Hills. During the last two years the road has been ruined due to negligent of CDA that has failed to perform the necessary repairs because road needed a redesigning at four important points those are heavily encroached.
“Since February we are reading in newspapers that the CDA plans for expanding, up gradation, restoration of IJP Road but not a single act in the rehabilitation of the IJP Road has been observed so far”, said Aslam Kiyania resident of Katarian Chungi.
It may be mentioned that over 200,000 vehicles pass this road every day.
