Sindh govt joins mayor’s 100-day cleanliness drive

Stressing the need for setting aside politics for the welfare of Karachi, the chief minister directed his divisional and district administrations on Friday to assist the city’s mayor in his 100-day cleanliness drive.

“Karachi belongs to each and every one of us, therefore setting aside politics we must support the mayor and make the city clean,” Syed Murad Murad Ali Shah said while addressing a meeting held to review the Rs10 billion Karachi uplift package.

The meeting was attended by local government minister Jam Khan Shoro, chief secretary Rizwan Memon, ACS (Dev) M Waseem, principal secretary to CM Naveed Kamran Baloch, finance secretary Hassan Naqvi, and Karachi Package project director Niaz Soomro and his team members. The chief minister said district municipal corporations had enough funds, machinery and other resources to lift garbage and clean their respective areas.

However, he regretted that the DMCs had not taken as much interest in achieving this task as they should have.

The chief minister said the citizens of Karachi were appealing to him to order the cleaning of the city.

He directed the local government minister to meet with the mayor and DMC chairpersons and mobilise them to clean the city.

He directed the Karachi commissioner to mobilise his deputy commissioners too.

“It’s our collective responsibility to clean the city until the mechanical sweeping system is in place by the first week of January 2017,” he added.

Shah said there was an unnecessary hue and cry for more powers for the local bodies. “You [the local bodies] have enough powers to start working and serve the citizens of Karachi who have given you this mandate,” he added.

Development package

During the meeting, the chief minister was briefed about the progress of the Rs10 billion Karachi package projects.

The chief minister was told that the upgrading of the Pipri pumping station, Stage –I had been launched at a cost of Rs900 million. The upgrading would increase the existing capacity of the present pumping station to cater the water requirement of the East district and DHA. The pumping station was established in 1971, then upgraded in 1989 and then in 1999.

The finance department has released 50 percent funds and five different tenders were issued, some of which have been opened.

The evaluation process is near completion and there 386 items will be bought or upgraded.

It was pointed out that tenders for the construction of University Road from Hassan Square to Nipa, NED to Safoora Chowrangi, Tariq Road from Shaheed-e-Millat Road to Sharea Quaideen, Hub River Road (remaining portion), From Surjani to Madinatul Hikmat Road and the widening of Sharea Faisal had been completed and contracts had been awarded.

The signing of agreement will take place by the second of week of the current month.

The chief minister expressed his displeasure over the delay in the start of work at University Road, particularly from NED to Safoora Chowrangi.

The chief minister was informed that the prequalification notices for the construction of Drigh Colony flyover, Manzil Pump Flyover at N-5 Karachi and an underpass at Submarine Chowrangi has been published in the national press.

The chief minister was further informed that the roads in the red zone, Teen Talwar to Metropole, Ch Khaliqzaman Intersection, and Metropoe to Zainab Market had been completed.