LAHORE, July 16: The Punjab government is likely to launch civil works on various sections of 27-km long (Gajjumata to Shahdara) Lahore Rapid Mass Transit System (LRMTS) in collaboration with Chinese firm NORINCO by October, this year. “The Chinese firm will first prepare the project`s preliminary design within a month or so and the government, after receiving the design, will develop a formal proposal in this regard,” Lahore Transport Company`s chairman and adviser to chief minister Khwaja Ahmad Hassan told Dawn on Saturday.

He said after developing a proposal and doing necessary arrangements, the official agencies concerned would start the civil work by utilising 15 per cent funds of the total project cost it was supposed to be spent as per an agreement with the Chinese firm.

He said the Chinese firm (NORINCO) would formally start executing the project by January 2012 after completion of final design and proposal.

Mr Hassan claimed that the project would help combat the public transport issues faced by the masses in the provincial capital.

CLEAN-UP: Special teams of the City District Government of Lahore (CDGL) on Saturday removed encroachments and razed illegal structures in various localities of Allama Iqbal, Data Ganj Bakhsh, Nishtar and Shalimar towns.

LDA encroachment cell also removed encroachments in various commercial and residential areas of the city falling under its territorial jurisdiction, says a press release.