The city managers have been making tall claims to create state of the art public Food Street but situation on ground is otherwise.
The authorities have failed to construct a proper approach road at Rawalpindi Stadium Food Street despite the passage of many years.
Many restaurant chains have been opened in Stadium Road Food Street but lack of availability of parking and unrepaired road is affecting their business, making them to look for another venue. The inconvenience after rain worsens the situation.
Rawalpindi Stadium Food Street is a key attraction to food lovers from middle and lower middle class. People come to enjoy the food along with their friends and family but approach road and potholes creates problem for them. It seems that the civic authorities are least bothered about this dirty inconvenience to thousands of visitors of Food Street.
Pakistan Today spoke to District Officer Planning Saima Ghafoor who told that it should be constructed on urgent basis.
“But I have not received any proposal for the construction of road inside the food street, as this premises belongs to Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB),” she said.
When Pakistan Today contacted the PCB regional office in Rawalpindi, an official said it is not the duty of PCB to construct roads.
“The PCB has taken this premise on lease and our responsibility is to promote the cricket.”
A pan shop owner while talking to Pakistan Today said, “I am working here from last three years but the road situation has deteriorated. The restaurants located at Food Street have built the parts of road in front of their entrances.”
A student Ali Jaswal said, “Unconstructed road does not bother authorities because they do not come here and take meal with their families, they go to five star hotels. The government seems to be uninterested in uplifting of this road and facilitate thousands citizens who visit daily.”