BY SIDI MOHAMED
DOHA: Not many in the Central Municipal Council (CMC) are happy that internal road maintenance and construction has been entrusted with Ashghal (Public Works Authority) vide a decision by the Ministry of Municipality and Urban Planning recently.
Internal roads were a responsibility of municipal authorities earlier while Ashghal was concerned construction and maintenance of major road projects like arterial roads, highways and expressways.
Some in the CMC feel that the latest responsibility entrusted with Ashghal will put extra burden on it as it is already saddled with so much work.
“There was no problem when internal roads were a responsibility of civic authorities. They were doing a good job,” said Mubarak Fraish, a CMC member.
He, however, added in remarks to this daily that if the idea is to put all road projects (construction and maintenance) under a single umbrella (of Ashghal), then maybe it makes sense.
But that would mean that the work of Ashghal would be doubled, said Fraish.
Another councillor, Mohamed Hamoud Al Shafi, said he welcomed the move because whenever civic authorities made an internal road, Ashghal would come into picture six months or a year later and make drastic changes. So if internal road works are with civic authorities, there should be close coordination among them, Ashghal and other agencies like Ooredoo and Kahramaa (utility providers). If not, it is better Ashghal handles these projects, he said.
Al Shafi said he didn’t think that Ashghal’s work would double with internal roads becoming its responsibility. “After all, internal roads do not entail major work,” he said. Al Sharq, meanwhile, said the decision of the ministry to assign internal road works to Ashghal has stoked a controversy and many CMC members want it reviewed.
Councillors are also demanding that senior Ashghal and ministry officials are summoned to the CMC for a discussion on the issue. The CMC, which is always critical of Ashghal, has asked its public services and facilities committee to study the issue and come up with recommendations, said Al Sharq.
Meanwhile, to execute internal road construction and maintenance works, Ashghal has divided Doha into three areas and Qatar into two: Doha north, Doha south and Doha west; and Qatar north and south.
There are 233 internal road projects in these areas. Some 61 will be executed in future, while work on 172 is on. At least 129 are at the design stage, and 24 are ready for execution. Some 16 projects are being implemented and three are almost complete. These 16 are major internal road projects, involving QR3.7bn, which is a little more than $1bn. The Peninsula
