Murree Expressway Spending Hits Rs6.87 Billion in Five Years
Islamabad: Heavy spending on the Murree Expressway N 75 has come under scrutiny after official data revealed that Rs6.87 billion was spent on the road during the last five years, with Rs4.89 billion paid in a single financial year alone. The disclosure, made in a Senate question answer session, has raised serious questions over the scale of rehabilitation spending, contractor payments, public money utilization and whether the massive expenditure has delivered visible improvement for commuters on one of the country’s most important tourist routes. According to the official reply submitted by Communications Minister Abdul Aleem Khan, the recent rehabilitation project of Murree Expressway was included in the Annual Maintenance Plan with a total cost of Rs7.12 billion. Out of this amount, payments worth Rs4.89 billion have already been made, while the ministry stated that no escalation has been paid. The official record shows that spending on Murree Expressway jumped sharply compared with previous years. Expenditure stood at Rs76.28 million in 2020-21, Rs23.27 million in 2021-22, Rs1.77 billion in 2022-23, Rs110.71 million in 2023-24 and Rs4.89 billion in 2024-25, bringing the five-year total to Rs6.87 billion. The rehabilitation package includes 2,000 road lights, 36 transformers, 100 kilometres of asphalt carpeting, 35 kilometres of service roads, 110 kilometres of road furniture, 12 kilometres of plantation and green belt, 23 kilometres of anti glare sheets, 86 kilometres of fencing, closure of illegal U turns, modification of pedestrian bridges, restrooms, stone work, wall painting and renovation of the 17 Mile roundabout with installation of a fountain. The biggest individual contract listed in the latest maintenance plan is for installing the road lighting system along Murree Expressway, including 2,000 poles, 36 transformers and generator sets. The contract cost is Rs1.89 billion, with Rs1.02 billion already paid to Frontier Works Organization. Another major contract for rehabilitation and asphaltic wearing course was awarded to NLC Engineers at a cost of Rs1.09 billion, with Rs1.08 billion already paid. A separate maintenance contract worth Rs1.22 billion was also awarded to NLC Engineers, against which Rs436.83 million has been paid. The data also shows multiple contracts awarded to NLC Engineers for U turn construction, highway safety work, restrooms, roundabout renovation, green belts, illegal U turn closure, asphalt patches, service roads and allied works. Several other contractors, including Frontier Works Organization, Elite New Highway Company, Micron Expert & Developers, Progressive Multi Engineers, Allied Broker Consultants, Hand Stone Construction, Noble Construction Company and others, also received contracts for different components of the project. Service facilities on Murree Expressway include restrooms for men, women and special persons, tuck shops, mosques for men and women, parking areas and service roads. NLC constructed these facilities at three locations with a stated budget of Rs115.633 million. The government said the facilities have been completed and opened to the public. The details were provided in response to questions by Senator Palwasha Mohammad Zai Khan, who sought information about the recent Murree Expressway rehabilitation project, total cost, payments, service areas, awarded tenders and expenditure during the last five years.
Read in Urdu: مری ایکسپریس وے پر پانچ برس میں 6.87 ارب روپے خرچ، اخراجات پر سوالات اٹھ گئے
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