Islamabad L Federal Minister for Communications and Postal Services Murad Saeed has said that prime importance be attached for timely completion of maintenance schemes of national highways throughout the country and undertaking of concrete steps to this effect is dire need of present time.
The government is determined to provide safe and sound travelling to road users on national highways and motorways in the country. He was addressing a high level meeting regarding maintenance of roads all over the country participated by Federal Secretary Communications Zafar Hassan, Chairman National Highway Authority Capt. (r) Muhammad Khurram Agha and Senior officers from Ministry of Communications and National Highway Authority. Continuing Murad Saeed said in near future about 70% of National Highway Authority (NHA) network would be maintained and restored. He said quality and timely completion of road building and maintenance schemes stand among our priorities and that to this effect all damaged roads would be maintained on priority basis. For the purpose, a comprehensive plan has been finalised, he added.
NHA’s general managers Muhammad Naseem Khattak and Colonel (r) Zulfiqar Ali Janjua gave detailed briefing regarding maintenance schemes of NHA in all the four provinces and in Azad Jammu & Kashmir and Gilgit-Baltistan regions. In the briefing it was told that under Annual Maintenance Plan 2017-18, a total of 913km roads segments were maintained in 2018-19.
According to details 456 Kms roads; in Punjab 98km roads in Punjab; 98 km roads in Balochistan; 211km roads in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa and Gilgit-Baltistan and 132 km long roads in Sindh were improved. Likewise, under the 2018-19 Annual Maintenance Plan’ 108km long road segments were improved in Punjab. While 91 km long road in Balochistan, 42 km roads in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa and Gilgit-Baltistan and 40 km long roads in Sindh were improved. It was further told in the briefing that under Annual Maintenance Plan 2019-20; 83 schemes having a total length of 749km road segments will be improved throughout the country.