Rawalpindi uplift projects: Punjab minister annoyed over delays
REORDER REPORT
RAWALPINDI (April 01 2004): After taking serious note of delay in the completion of various development project, including Nullah Lai and use of sub-standard material, the Punjab government has directed the concerned departments to submit a report for the delay and fix the responsibility of those, who are causing hurdles.
The delay in Rs 4.13 billion Nullah Lai project was due to the lack of co-ordination among the heads and officials of the different organisations working on this project, said the sources in Rawalpindi Development Authority (RDA) here on Tuesday.
Nullah Lai widening project was being financed by the Asian Development Bank (ADB), they said, and added that this project and construction of two bridges on the Nullah at Gawalmandi and Dhok Charag Din was not completed even after three extensions granted to the contractors.
They said that Provincial Local Bodies Minister Mushtaq Kiani directed the District Nazim to submit a detailed report on the delay in various important development projects, and also asked him to fix the responsibilities so that action could be taken against those found guilty.
The minister also asked the District Nazim to submit a report why the Water and Sanitation Agency (WASA), the RDA and tehsil municipal administration were looking indifferent towards the problems of the people due to delay in the projects.
The sources said that the minister expressed dissatisfaction over the installation of distribution pipeline all over the district, and asked the authorities concerned to give justification of leakage's in the pipeline.
The ministry, in its report, indicated that the sub-standard material was used in this project.
They said that the ministry also took serious notice of the use of sub-standard material in the construction of roads in Rawalpindi as the roads in Dhok Kashmiryan, Sadiqabad, Satellite Town, Dhok Kala Khan and other areas were giving a shabby look.
Copyright Business Recorder, 2004
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'Sarshar' to multiply rice production: NIA
ISLAMABAD (April 01 2004): The new variety developed by Nuclear Institute of Agriculture (NIA) Tandojam will multiply rice production in the country.
According to NIA, the research work carried out at the Institute has already led to the development of five varieties of wheat, four varieties of rice, one variety each of cotton, sugarcane and mungbeans.
These varieties have played a significant role in raising the socio-economic status of the farmers particularly of Sindh by enhancing the agricultural productivity.
As a result of research work, the scientists of NIA have evolved three new varieties, one each of rice (Sarshar) and cotton (Sohni).
Sarshar, the newly invented high yielding variety of rice was introduced by NIA aimed at multiplying rice production in the country.
According to the institute, NIA is actively engaged in the mutation breeding of rice and has evolved three high yielding and improved grain quality mutant varieties of rice which dominate in the province of Sindh.
Recently the Institute has succeeded in the evolution of a new high yielding and improved grain quality mutant IR8-151.
The mutant variety has been approved as "Sarshar" for general cultivation in the province of Sindh by the Provincial Seed Council in its meeting held early this years.
Evolved through gamma rays (150 Gy) mutagenesis of a coarse IRRI variety IR8. Sarshar has given consistently better paddy yield as compared to its parents, checks and other promising strains in micro, preliminary and station varietal trials at Tandojam, Sindh.
On the basis of three years average, it has shown 16 percent increase in paddy yield over its parent IR8 as well as check variety IR6.
Copyright Associated Press of Pakistan, 2004
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