Delay in completion of Lahore-Kasur road: C&W Chief Engineer, officers suspended

Punjab Chief Minister Muhammad Shahbaz Sharif Thursday suspended Chief Engineer and other concerned officers of Communication and Works (C&W) department for delay in completion of the multi-billion Lahore-Kasur road. He was addressing a meeting held to review the pace of work on Lahore-Kasur Road project at Mustafabad (Kasur) on Thursday. Officers of C&W gave a detailed briefing to the CM about Lahore-Kasur Road project.
The CM said that government would not tolerate delay by the contractors and inefficient administration in the development projects in Punjab. He warned that the officers and contractors would have to face consequences for delaying the projects, causing inconvenience to the people. Taking notice of delay and sub-standard construction work on Lahore-Kasur Road Package-1, he ordered immediate stoppage of construction work and directed construction company Hasnain Cotex to reconstruct the substandard portion at its own expenses.
The Chief Minister said the project, that started at a cost of Rs 4 billion, was to be completed within two years but had not been completed so far, despite a lapse of four years and people are facing serious problems due to the delay. He further said that development projects had been made a source of plundering in the past and Lahore-Kasur road is a clear proof of this fact. He said the concerned departments, contractors and their patrons misappropriated huge development funds in projects in the province.
He said it is lamentable that on the one hand country is running on foreign aid and it has taken loans of billion of rupees, while on the other hand, officers and contractors looted resources ruthlessly with the connivance of each other.
He said that the C&W department and the contractors considerably delayed the important project like Lahore-Kasur Road and showed criminal negligence in its construction, but further delay will not be tolerated in completion of this project, he warned. Shahbaz revealed that when action was taken against the contractors on negligence and sub-standard construction of this project, they got stay order from the PCO courts.
The CM affirmed that transparent utilisation of each penny of the people will be ensured, and the looters of national resources will not be spared at all. He said that third-party audit system has been made compulsory for ensuring the transparent utilization of funds and quality completion of development projects.
He reprimanded the NESPAX officers for their unsatisfactory performance with regard to ensuring quality of the project and added that in future, timely and correct report should be submitted about this project. He said the performance of Echowest Company will be reviewed every month and directed the company to accelerate the pace of construction work, and said a detailed report will be taken next month about the progress of the work.
He directed C&W department to submit a detailed up to date report about the performance of Hasnain Cotex and Echowest construction companies. Later, the CM visited various portions of the road and directed the Echowest Company to demolish the substandard drains and reconstruct these drains at its own expenses.
He directed Secretary Forest to plant maximum trees on this project for making it green. Lamenting on the poor performance of C&W Department and construction companies in the construction of Lahore-Kasur Road, the Chief Minister said had the work carried out with sincerity and national spirit, this important project would complet on time.
MNAs, MPAs, Secretary C&W, Commissioner and DCO Lahore, MD WASA and other concerned officers were also present on this occasion. Earlier, when the Chief Minister arrived at Mustafaabad (Kasur) by helicopter, public representatives, PML workers and officers of the administration welcomed him at the helipad.