GUJRAT: The Punjab government has failed to release the first installment of the funds approved for the rehabilitation and construction of 35 roads in the city.

Sources said the Punjab government had approved the plan proposed by PML-N`s city MPA Imran Zafar for the construction and rehabilitation of the dilapidated roads. The chief minister promised an allocation of Rs1 billion for the project to be carried out in three years, with an annual allocation of more than Rs300 million.

They said not even the first installment for the project could be released and the condition of roads was going from bad to worse. The Finance and Planning Department had revised the earlier plan and now Rs200 million hadbeen sought for initiation of work on five roads instead of 10 in the current fiscal year.

According to the revised plan, a sum of Rs30.076 million has been sought for the construction of one-kilometre portion of the road from Police Lines to Bhimbher Road, Rs72.038 million for the rehabilitation of Badshahi Road`s 2.60-kilometre portion from Usman Plaza to Mughal Colony, Rs77.152 million for a two-kilometre portion of Shahdaula Road, Rs17.926 million for road from Karekan Chowk to Kutchehry Road and Rs0.579 million for the rehabilitation of a small portion from old vegetable market to Bawa Bagh.

Many of Gujrat city`s interior roads had been constructed eight to ten years ago during the then Punjab chief minister, Pervaiz Elahi`s, stint and even these roads have not been repaired during all these years.