Latest news with #RawalpindiDevelopmentAuthority
Express Tribune
4 days ago
- Business
- Express Tribune
Several illegal commercial units sealed
The Enforcement Squad of the Rawalpindi Development Authority (RDA) launched a robust operation against illegal constructions, sealing 17 unauthorised commercial properties located at Mid City Apartments, Service Road, Mouza Gangal. The operation was carried out with the support of the Old Airport police and led by the RDA Enforcement Squad. The team comprised the Assistant Director of Building Control, building inspectors, and other relevant officials. Among the sealed properties were 10 offices, two apartments, one restaurant, and four hotels. Noteworthy establishments included the Overseas Recruitment Agency, Ghauri Town offices, WB Centres, JD Aviation, and others. According to an RDA spokesperson, the owners had constructed commercial buildings without securing the required No Objection Certificates (NOCs) and in violation of approved building plansactions that contravene the Punjab Development of Cities Act, 1976, and the RDA Building and Zoning Regulations, 2020. RDA director-general Kinza Murtaza has also directed the Building Control Wing to conduct a detailed survey of all unauthorised residential and commercial structures. This includes reviewing approvals, commercialisation status, completion plans, and associated fees and charges. The directive further emphasises that all illegal constructions within the RDA-controlled area must be regularised in accordance with existing regulations.
Express Tribune
16-07-2025
- Business
- Express Tribune
Scandal-hit RDA abolishes CDR system
The Rawalpindi Development Authority (RDA) has scrapped its Call Deposit Receipt (CDR) system after it became the conduit for the transfer of Rs1.94 billion from the authority's accounts. In its place, a new foolproof financial system has been implemented, under which all payments to companies, firms, and individuals will be made strictly through cross cheques. Investigations into the scandal are currently underway, with both the Punjab government's fact-finding committee and the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) actively probing the matter. During the third session of the committee, held in Lahore, former RDA officials and current employees failed to provide satisfactory responses to the committee's questions. Written statements were demanded from all those summoned, which will be scrutinised in the upcoming sessions. The scandal first came to light in the second week of May 2025, following the alleged suicide of a former RDA deputy director of finance in Sialkot. A review of financial records revealed that the CDR system had been introduced in 2016 after a significant deduction was made from RDA's account by the income tax department at the start of the Rawalpindi-Islamabad Metro Bus Project. Initially, the CDR system operated transparently between 2016 and 2019. However, records from 2020 to 2025 revealed that CDRs based on the RDA's account balance were used to transfer funds to the bank accounts of various companies, firms, and individuals. Letters were written requesting the issuance of new CDRs in their names. Officials with financial signing authority, including the Director General and director finance at the time, allegedly displayed gross negligence, allowing these transfers to proceed undetected. The discrepancy was discovered only after the newly appointed Director of Admin and Finance, Ahmed Sohaib Qazi, conducted a thorough review of the financial records. In response, RDA has now eliminated the CDR mechanism and implemented a secure payment system. Under the new protocol, cross-cheques will only be issued after the director general, director of finance, and deputy director of finance have verified the complete documentation and affixed their signatures. Banks will only process these cheques after verifying them with RDA. Meanwhile, the fact-finding committee, formed by Punjab Chief Secretary Zahid Akhtar Zaman and led by Board of Revenue Member (Taxes) Mudassar Waheed Malik, includes members Moazzam Iqbal Supra and Madiha Tahir Shah. The committee held its third session on July 14 in Lahore, where several former and current RDA finance officials appeared. Two former officials who claimed ignorance about the preparation and signing of the CDRs failed to convince the committee. Another employee, whose wife received Rs1.8 million in her bank account, also failed to offer a satisfactory explanation.
Express Tribune
17-06-2025
- Business
- Express Tribune
Key projects put on ice for another year
After a year-long campaign filled with lofty promises and bold slogans about launching ten state-of-the-art mega projects to address the city's core problems and essential needs, these much-publicised initiatives have now been postponed. Initially planned for the current fiscal year 2024-25 — already strained by a deepening economic crisis — the projects have been unceremoniously deferred to the upcoming fiscal year 2025-26. Over the past 12 months, the Rawalpindi Development Authority (RDA), Water and Sanitation Agency (WASA), the District Council, District Administration, and Municipal Corporation have all failed entirely to initiate a single one of these projects. The projects have been pending for 17 years, and continuous delays have caused their estimated costs to surge by 100 to 300%, with a further 25% increase expected after budget approvals. Among these mega projects are the Lai Expressway, sewerage water tunnel and treatment plant, Ghazi Brotha water project, new large-diameter steel pipeline from Rawal Dam for additional water supply, Mother and Child Hospital, Ring Road, three large commercial parking plazas, underpasses from Mareer Chowk to Liaqat Bagh Chowk, Doodhcha Dam, and Chehan Dam water supply scheme. All these projects were initially prepared between 2008 and 2012 but were sidelined due to frequent changes in political governments. The 22-kilometer Lai Expressway was launched in 2008, with its foundation stone laid by then-President General Pervez Musharraf. However, despite 17 years having passed, it remains incomplete. Its initial estimated cost of 1.7 billion rupees has now escalated to 11 billion rupees. The Mother and Child Hospital is a 12-year-old project. Although the state-of-the-art building housing 13 operation theaters was completed, the project has been shut down for the last three years. Originally costing Rs900 million, the building was completed with an OPD inauguration planned for April 30, 2022. However, the government was dissolved on April 10, and the project stalled. Since then, windows, cabinets, doors, iron grills, and machinery have been stolen, and the expansive building has become a shelter for bats, dogs, cats, and snakes. While an additional Rs25m was allocated, work stoppage has caused losses to soar to approximately Rs150m. The sewerage water tunnel and treatment plant, originally estimated at Rs3b and now costing over Rs6b, has been stalled for four years. Similarly, the Chehan Dam water supply scheme has been repeatedly promised throughout the year, but as the fiscal year ended, it too was pushed into the new budget. Its cost has risen from Rs600m to 650m. The Rawal Dam new pipeline and commercial parking plaza projects have proved to be mere publicity stunts. The Ghazi Brotha water project, crucial to meeting the twin cities of Rawalpindi and Islamabad's water needs for 100 years, was also neglected again this year. Without Ghazi Brotha, the water crisis of the twin cities cannot be resolved. The project cost has inflated from Rs8.7b to Rs20b over 10 years. The Doodhcha Dam and Ring Road projects have become deadlocked due to extreme delays. Their completion deadlines have expired repeatedly, and now they too have been pushed into the new fiscal year. Because of the severe financial crisis, the District Municipal Corporation failed to launch any significant development scheme during the outgoing fiscal year 2024-25. However, District Development Committee convener and MNA Engineer Qamar-ul-Islam claims that record-breaking roads have been constructed this year, and with a record development budget in the new fiscal year, all mega projects will finally be initiated.
Express Tribune
06-06-2025
- Politics
- Express Tribune
Panel postpones RDA scam hearing
The meeting of the special committee formed by the Punjab Chief Secretary to investigate the Rs1.94 billion corruption scandal in the Rawalpindi Development Authority (RDA) failed to be held in Lahore on Thursday. The Director-General of RDA, along with a Deputy Director and an Assistant Director, who had travelled to Lahore for the meeting, were informed about rescheduling of the meeting on June 11. Meanwhile, NAB has intensified its probe into the financial scandal and conducted a raid at the residence of the late Deputy Director. The special committee, comprising DMG officers, had summoned RDA's Director-General Kinza Murtaza, Deputy Director Iftikhar Janjua, and Assistant Director Waqar Asghar Raja to Lahore for a review of records. However, upon their arrival, they were informed that one committee member was unavailable, leading to the postponement of the hearing until June 11. Surprisingly, despite the ongoing investigation, only one retired officer from the approximately dozen former Directors General and Directors of Administration and Finance of RDA, who served between 2016 and 2024/25, has been summoned. Some of these officers have retired, while others hold key positions in Punjab.
Express Tribune
25-05-2025
- Business
- Express Tribune
RDA scam sparks NAB probe
An alleged embezzlement scandal involving Rs1.94 billion in the Rawalpindi Development Authority (RDA) has raised serious questions about negligence and misconduct by top officials over the past nine years. According to sources, the scandal reportedly implicates former and current director generals and directors of administration and finance, all of whom had signatory authority over the RDA's financial affairs. The matter has now been transferred to the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) via the Punjab Anti-Corruption Establishment for further investigation. According to sources, over the last nine years, payments amounting to nearly Rs1.94 billion were made from RDA's bank accounts to fictitious companies posing as registered vendors. These transactions were conducted through Call Deposit Receipts (CDRs), with around 21 transactions linked to eight companies and thirteen individuals. Standard operating procedures (SOPs) for financial dealings within the RDA were reportedly ignored, and the signatory authority granted to the director general and director admin & finance was misused. Meanwhile, the responsible authorities failed to monitor bank account activity or audit financial records held both in RDA offices and in the respective banks. Following the revelation, NAB has started collecting relevant documents from the RDA and corresponding banks. Letters have also been sent to the private banks involved, requesting transactional records. This has created a troubling situation for all individuals who held the roles of director general or director admin & finance during the past nine yearswhether in service or retired. Questions are being raised as to why they failed to oversee the issuance of CDRs, track their reference letters, and review how funds were funnelled to various companies and individuals. According to sources, investigations aim to identify the public officials, fake companies, and individuals involved in the scam, with the ultimate goal of recovering the embezzled public funds. Legal action is expected against those who received payments either as company representatives or in a personal capacity. On the other hand, the RDA has prepared a proposed Annual Development Plan (ADP) for the fiscal year 2025-26. The plan, which awaits final approval from the Punjab government, includes major infrastructure initiatives under the "Urban Development Package" and "City Development Package." The proposed projects consist of three underpasses, one flyover, a multi-storey parking plaza, and several road infrastructure schemes. Each development initiative has been recommended by the respective members of the national and provincial assemblies.
