RAWALPINDI: Interior Minister Sheikh Rashid Ahmed has said that the Punjab government has allocated Rs 55 billion for 'Nullah Lai' project in 2021-22 financial year budget and the construction work of the project would be kicked off this year.

"The Federal government under the leadership of Prime Minister Imran Khan has presented a historic budget by giving relief to the poor and middle class and the incumbent government is striving hard to control inflation", he said.

Sheikh Rashid said that 18 km long Nullah Lai Expressway project would start from 'Ammar chowk' and culminate at 'Pindora' and on both sides of the Expressway, high-rise commercial buildings would be constructed.

He said that this project would be completed under public-private partnership and would be started this year after completing the tendering procedures.

Sheikh Rashid Ahmed said that Nullah Lai Expressway would be a game changer project for the city and would help ease traffic congestion in the town.

The project would also help control flash flooding problems during heavy rains. The Minister informed that the government as per the vision of the Prime Minister Imran Khan has presented a historic budget in which no new tax was levied and the poor and middle class was provided special concessions in many schemes.

Duty on several imported items in particular was abolished which would help reduce the inflation and the citizens would get relief, he added. Inflation is a major challenge for the incumbent government which has presented a number of proposals in the budget to control the price hike. Terrorism in Lahore was aimed at creating an atmosphere of unrest in Pakistan, he said.