RAWALPINDI: The Kutchery Chowk Remodelling Project worth Rs6.4 billion aimed at easing traffic load at the main square of the garrison city has been postpone d till the next year and the Rawalpindi Development Authority (RDA) has returned the Rs1 billion released for the project to the Punjab government.

The district administration authorities cited three reasons for not launching the project. They said already three main road construction works were in progress parking area for Lahore High Court on GT Road at Soan Bridge, re-carpeting of Islamabad Expressway and Murree Expressway.

The officials were of the view that if the Kutchery Chowk Remodelling Project was launched, it would lead to worst traffic jams in the twin cities of Rawalpindi and Islamabad.

They said land acquisition was not yet started for the project and it would take two months to start work on making alternative roads before construction.

They said the provincial government had assured the RDA of releasing Rs5 billion for the project in the next fiscal year. They said that the process of land acquisition would take a month or two but this would be started in the next fiscal year after the completion of ongoing construction works in nearby areas.

A senior official of RDA told Dawn that RDA had no other option but to surrender the fund of Rs1 billion released for the project in the current fiscal year as it was not utilised.-Aamir Yasin