Chairman of steering committee for Lahore Orange Line Metro Train Project Khawaja Ahmad Haassan informed during weekly progress review meeting, here, Wednesday, that two thirds of the civil work on Lahore Orange Line Metro Train Project has been completed and efforts are being made to render the train operational on December 25, 2017.
Punjab Chief Minister Muhammad Shabaz Sharif has granted tax exemption worth Rs 113.8 million to 2673 persons whose business has been affected due to the construction work along the route of Metro Train, he disclosed. As many as 2604 persons have been granted with the property tax waivers worth Rs 112 million whereas 69 persons have been exempted from professional tax amounting to a total of Rs 0.93 million, he added.
The CM has directed the steering committee to carry out a survey to enumerate the individuals, affected by the project, who do not fall in the category of tax payers, so that a relief package could be announced for them, as well, in order to compensate them for the losses they incurred due to the construction of the train.
The attendees of the meeting were told that 66.5 percent of the total civil work of the project has been completed. 81.5 percent of the civil work for package-I from Dera Gujjaran, G.T.Road to Chouburji is complete; 49.5 percent of package-II, from Choburji to Ali Town, is complete; 72 percent of the work on Depot near Dera Gujran is complete while on Stabling Yard near Ali Town 62.8 per cent of the work is complete.
The attendees of the meeting were informed that the grey structure of seven elevated stations has been constructed along package-I, while work on another four stations was in progress. So far 640 out of 670 U-tub girders, required for construction of elevated viaduct along package-I, have been precast while 503 such girders have been launched. Work for construction of ground floor slab of underground Anarkali Station is underway. The Chinese contractor CR-NORINCO has started installation of escalators on Islam Park station besides along with other electrical and mechanical works.
Form works to precast transoms and U-tubs girders required for construction of elevated train in package-II have been imported. Construction work of four stations of this package, Chauburji, Gulshan Ravi, Samanabad and Bund Road will be completed by June 15 while the remaining nine stations will be completed till July 15.
Khawaja Ahmad Haassan asked for expediting road construction work between Samanabad and Chowk Yateem Khana for easing the flow of traffic in the area. He also called upon all the relevant departments as well as the contractors for getting their staff trained by Resue 1122 for adopting safety measures in case of any untoward incident.
Member Provincial Assembly Chaudhary Shahbaz Ahmad, Managing Director WASA Chaudhry Abdul Qadeer, Chief Engineer LDA Asrar Saeed, General Manager Punjab Mass Transit Authority Syed Ozair Shah, General Manager NESPAK Salman Hafeez, Chief Engineer TEPA Saif-ur-Rehman, senior officials of LESCO, PTCL, SUI GAS, Traffic Police, Railways, Rescue 1122, Civil Defence, Chinese Contractor CR- NOROINCO representatives, Chinese Engineering Consultant and Local Contractors of the project attended the meeting.
