Punjab Study

Rawalpindi:February 08:A plan to convert the site of the old building of Rawalpindi Municipal Corporation (RMC) at Jinnah Road into a polytechnic college for girls is on the cards.

Credible sources told ‘The News’ here on Tuesday that the land of the old RMC building was taken into possession by the Privatisation Commission of Pakistan. However, with the efforts of Punjab Chief Minister Mian Shahbaz Sharif, the property has been handed back to the Punjab government. Initially, the Punjab government after regaining the possession of the building had decided to auction it to private firms. However, this plan did not click due to reportedly high price fixed in the auction.

Non-utilisation of the RMC building for many years made its condition dilapidated and at nighttime it was used by drug addicts. The Rawalpindi Development Authority had decided to build a parking lot at the building site, which was opposed by the present Tehsil Administration, Rawal Town, on the grounds that the property belongs to it.

Similarly, the previous government of Chaudhry Pervaiz Elahi had decided to compensate the affected people of the Committee Chowk underpass in the RMC office, which was also not enforced due to high demand made by the affected traders and businessmen.

Moreover, according to sources, former federal minister Sheikh Rashid Ahmed had decided to transform the building into a degree college for girls but after change in the government this plan remained unimplemented.

However, present parliamentarians of the PML-N including Malik Shakil Awan and MPA Sheharyar Riaz floated the idea of constructing a polytechnic college for girls, which the Punjab chief minister approved. An amount of Rs200 million would be allocated for the purpose and the project would be funded by the Punjab government.

After completion of negotiation process, work on its feasibility study would be initiated and the project would be kicked off during the next fiscal year.

Though Malik Shakil Awan, commenting over it, agreed that a polytechnic institute would be built at the site of the old RMC building, but Commissioner Rawalpindi Zahid Iqbal gave a negative response. According to him, the land is still in possession of the Privatisation Commission and not given back to the Punjab government.The news.