Directs project directors to submit their PC-1 documents
to planning and development dept today
Karachi
Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah, reviewing the 21 development schemes of the Rs10 billion Karachi uplift package, directed the local government department on Tuesday to submit their PC-1 documents to the planning and development department the next day (today) and have them approved by the technical committee and the provincial development working party so that they could be completed by December this year.
Briefing the chief minister at a meeting, additional chief secretary (development) Mohammad Waseem said that Rs10 billion Karachi package had 21 schemes scheduled to be completed during the current financial year.
The chief minister said that he would provide the necessary funds but the schemes must be completed by December.
Briefing on Shaheed Benazir Bhutto Flyover at Shaheen Complex, the additional chief secretary said the 400-metre project would cost Rs754 million and its completion time is eight months from the date of start of its construction.
The chief minister asked the project director if he had submitted its PC-I to the planning and development department. When the project director responded that he had not, the chief minister directed him to submit it on Wednesday and also urged the additional chief secretary to hold a technical committee meeting on Friday to approve the scheme.
He told the project director to start working on shifting the utilities of the KE, the SSGC, the water boar, etc for the project.
Briefing the chief minister on the construction of University Road from Hassan Square to Nipa, the additional chief secretary said the 3.5-kilometre long and 16.1-metre wide double track project would cost Rs995 million scheme. The chief minister directed its project director to submit its PC-I to the planning and development department on Wednesday and take it up in the technical committee meeting on Friday.
The chief minister said the road must have drains on both sides.
Talking about the construction of University Road from NED to Safoora Chowk, the secretary it was a Rs780 million scheme. The length of the road was 4.5 kilometres with two metres for footpath, drainage, and LED lights.
Its PC-I has been submitted to the planning and development department and it is supposed to be completed within the next six months. The chief minister directed planning and development department to approve the scheme in the technical committee meeting on Friday.
Discussing reconstruction of Tariq Road from Shaheed-e-Millat Road to Shahrah-e-Quaideen, the chief minister was told that it was a Rs523.2 million scheme. Its length was 2.1 kilometres. The chief minister directed the project director of the project to widen the road as much as possible. The project director told the chief minister that there were some issues related to the shifting of utilities’ installations.
The chief minister directed the chief secretary to personally handle these issues.
The chief minister was told that Natha Khan Road needed a U-turn to reduce traffic congestion.
The scheme costing Rs330 million has been approved.
The chief minister asked as to why its cost had increased so much.
Waseem told the chief minister that military land was being acquired for this purpose increasing the cost of the project. The chief minister was also briefed about a flyover at Manzil Pump flyover on N-5 Karachi. The cost of the project is 553.969 million. The length of the flyover is 400 metres.
It would cater to the growing traffic pressure in Landhi Industrial Area. It will be a three-lane flyover with a separate lane for Landhi.
The chief minister said the project must completed by November 2016. He also told the planning and development department to look into all aspects of the Submarine Chowrangi underpass project costing Rs667.6 million.
The underpass will be on Khaliquzzaman Road linking it to Submarine Chowrangi and the Gizri bridge.
The chief minister asked the chief secretary to coordinate with the DHA and cantonment board for the shifting of utilities. The chief minister said the remodelling of the Baloch Colony flyover was most important scheme. This bridge had some design problems, therefore its one lane remains closed.
The remodelling project will cost Rs112.82 million. Its two existing ramps will be demolished and in their place a road would be constructed with a separate lane. There is a similar problem with the Drigh Colony flyover which causes serious traffic jams at the corner developed for the traffic heading towards Saddar.
This bridge will be remodelled too at a cost of Rs556.08 million. The chief minister directed the local government minister to personally monitor work on this project so that the existing structure could be used by adding another portion for smooth vehicular flow from the airport to Saddar.
Traffic and garbage
The chief minister while presiding over a meeting another meeting said traffic management and lifting of garbage are two major issues of Karachi which must be resolved on a priority basis.
Shah said it was poor traffic management that parking of vehicle was allowed even on single roads which was causing traffic jams.
“This must be stopped or at least banned during rush hours,” he said.
He also said bus lanes may be marked on roads so that they could ply on their side and a separate but designated lane may be reserved for motorcycles.
He directed chief secretary and commissioner Karachi to meet with the DIG traffic and work out a detailed plan for traffic management.
The chief minister said the other glaring issue was the lifting of garbage to landfill sites. “How can front-line collection become possible without providing dumpsters near residential localities,” he pointed out and suggested that dumpsters be kept near residential areas so that sweepers after collecting household waste could drop it into the bins for onward transportation to garbage transfer stations.
Briefing the chief minister, local government minister Jam Khan Shoro said he had ordered 800 dumpsters with a capacity of 10 tonnes of garbage.
There are many vehicles of DMCs and the District Council which would take the dumpsters to garbage transfer stations for the further transportation of garbage to the landfill sites. The local government minister said that each dumpster cost Rs205,000 and the company providing them would maintain them for 10 years. “This is a local arrangement which the DMCs and District council are making on their own, otherwise the lifting of garbage have been outsourced,” he added.
Shoro further said that garbage lifting in the DMC South had been outsourced. The firm responsible for the purpose is charging Rs590 per tonne. The front-side lifting of garbage is being carried out by the DMCs themselves.
The chief minister directed the local government department to direct sweepers to wear jacket of their DMCs.
This would help in identifying their presence at their work Shah said that there must be some municipal rules to control throwing of garbage into the streets and along the roads.
Replying to a question the local government minister said a Chinese firm had been issued a letter of intent and now an agreement would be signed with them for garbage lifting from the front-line to the landfill.
CM speaks with IGP
The chief minister directed the IGP that police stations across the province should be made public-friendly.
He spoke with the IGP AD Khowaja on the phone and discussed with him the law and order situation of the province.
Shah directed the provincial police chief to bring down rate street crimes in the Karachi city to zero.