Rs1.3bn spent on roads leading to Tableeghi congregation venue.

LAHORE -- The phase-I of the Raiwind Infrastructure Rehabilitation and Improvement Project has been completed, paving the way for launching work on the phase-II of the road project that is likely to start by the end of this month.

Completed by the Lahore Development Authority (LDA), Punjab Chief Minister Chaudhry Parvez Elahi, who also heads the LDA's governing body as chairman, will inaugurate the phase-I on Saturday (today).

'The CM wanted to launch a project focusing on rehabilitation and improvement of infrastructure, especially roads connecting Raiwind and adjoining towns and major semi-urban and rural areas. Moreover, he was also of the view that since the Raiwind hosts two major religious events (of Tableeghi Jamaat) every year, the roads leading to the venue must be in a good condition for a trouble-free travel,' LDA Chief Engineer Asrar Saeed explained while talking to Dawn on Friday.

Sharing detail, Mr Saeed said the LDA first identified various roads connecting four major roads, including Lahore-Raiwind Road, Raiwind Sundar Road, Raiwind-Manga Road and Raiwind-Kasur Road. It prepared the project's PC-I (Phase-I and II) worth over Rs1.3 billionn under which it recommended to rehabilitate Raiwind Road and some other roads leading to the Tableeghi congregation venue.

CM to inaugurate phase-I today; phase-II likely to start by month's end

The first road rehabilitated at a cost of Rs380m connects Raiwind Bypass, followed by Rs440m Pajjian-Sundar road (8km), Raiwind-Pajjian bypass (12km) and Raiwind bypass-Tableeghi Ijtimah (5.5km) and a small rural road connecting the venue worth Rs260m.

A couple of the aforementioned roads have also been lit with LED lights.

In phase-II, the LDA chief engineer said, a major graveyard adjacent to Ijtimah venue would be walled with rehabilitation of pathways and a couple of small roads near Jia Bagga Station, Raiwind...