Prime Minister Imran Khan conducted the groundbreaking of the flagship project Ravi Riverfront Urban Development Project of Punjab’s government on September 15, 2020.
Imran Khan instructed the Ravi project head to address the groundbreaking ceremony that there should be no delays in the project because “we do not have much time and there is an international interest in it”
The Prime Minister said Pakistani would be showing immense interest in the project overseas. He counted the accomplishments of his government during the address, and how he made tough decisions by setting up the Namal Institute in Mianwali and the first Shaukat Khanum Memorial Cancer Hospital in Lahore. The Prime Minister cited Mahathir Mohamad of Malaysia, who established the new capital from scratch.
Imran Khan quoted a proverb, “Do not judge a person by what he is, judge him by what he inspires him to be.” He said it was only Edmund Hillary who successfully climbed Mount Everest, the highest mountain in the world, and everyone failed before him because Edmund Hillary had a great dream in his mind.
The Elements Of The Ground Breaking Of Ravi Riverfront Urban Development Project
The Premier instructed the provincial government that the implementation of this project should not be postponed. He said that in this initiative, the federal government would completely support the provincial government.
- 13 Special Centers (Knowledge City, Commercial City, Health City, Innovation City, and Sports City)
- Rehabilitation of dying Ravi River
- 6 Water Treatment Plants
- Surface Water Treatment Plants
- 46 kilometers long lake
- Urban forests (6 million trees)
- 3 Barrages
- High rise buildings
According to the project:
- Treatment planted will be built on all the sewage pipes dumping in River Ravi.
- A state-of-the-art park will be constructed as per the environment-friendly elements.
- Public transport would be made easy and accessible around the area.
Government Will Bear The Expenses Of Basic Infrastructure
PM Khan said that in this new city project the government will provide the basic infrastructure while the rest of the city will be raised from the investments. He expressed trust that the biggest investment in it will be made by Pakistanis overseas.
It’s not an easy job to create a new city and you’ll certainly face difficulties and barriers. This new capital, however, is what Lahore and Pakistan need. Neither did anyone care for those living in 40% of Lahore’s rural areas, nor did they seek urban design after thinking for poor people.
The PM said the pace of construction of the Ravi Riverfront project is significant and the federal government will provide maximum assistance to the urban development project to remove all barriers. “The project will be completed with private sector coordination, and the Government of Punjab will complete its infrastructure. Through the Ravi Riverfront project that is being launched under a comprehensive plan, the country will witness huge foreign investment”, he said.
Chief Minister On RRUD
Speaking at the occasion, Chief Minister Punjab Sardar Usman Buzdar said that it is a historic opportunity for PM Imran to lay the foundation stone of the Ravi Riverfront Urban Project and to materialize the dream of the country’s largest project in history.
The chief minister deplored that seven years earlier the proposal for this project was planned but the past rulers could not launch it because the projects aimed at bringing about real changes in public life were not their priorities.
Prominent Features Of RRUD Projects
Imran Khan said that this town would have different Information and Technology and Education centers. He said the town would also have subsidized housing to serve the poor. He said we are also giving loans at low-interest rates so that their houses could be owned by the salaried class, laborers, and low-income classes.
The prime minister said the Rs30bn subsidy was provided to the poor in the housing sector. People are being offered a chance to make their home for the first time. He said we first launched health cards to provide relief to the needy.
The Ravi Riverfront Urban Development Project will be constructed over an area of over 100,000 acres of land, with Rs5,000 billion of private sector investment.
Information City, Sports City, and Eco-City will be built on a 14,000-acre land area in the third phase. For the project growth, a total land area of 103,271 acres will be acquired from the jurisdiction of the public and government.
As part of the scheme, 12 new cities will be built in the first phase with Innovation City spanning more than 1,370 acres in the second phase, including residential city, medical city, downtown, commercial center, urban farms, etc.
One More Step Closer To Naya Pakistan
The Premier said Naya Pakistan’s vision is to bring the people out of poverty. To this end, we have started the largest Ehsaas poverty alleviation program ever in the world. He said we founded Panagahs, too. Our emphasis now is on improving the standards of these services.
