Murad reviews ongoing development schemes, wants them completed at the earliest
The Sindh chief minister said on Monday that he would allocate Rs10 billion more for the development of Karachi in the next fiscal year and that was why it was necessary to complete the projects of the current uplift package.
During a meeting held to review the city’s development package, the chief minister was informed that the Rs884.23 million project of the revamping of University Road from Hassan Square to NIPA had been completed by 10 percent. Work on 12 percent of its other portion from NED to Safoora Chowrangi costing Rs832 million had been finished.
The chief minister expressed his displeasure over the pace of work. He noted that the portion of University Road from NED to Safoora Chowrangi was in a terrible condition. The chief minister was informed that the the construction of Tariq Road from Shaheed-e-Millat Road to Shahrah-e-Quaideen started at Rs569.819 million had been completed by 15 percent. Shah told the project director to start working on both sides of the road. The chief minster pointed out that Khalid Bin Waleed Road had been set as the alternate route and working on both sides of the Tariq Road should not be a problem.
He directed the Karachi commissioner and the DIG Traffic to ensure the removal of cars parked on the footpath of Khalid Bin Waleed Road within two weeks.
Project director Niaz Soomro said the construction of Hub River Road costing Rs658.295 million had been completed by 16 percent.
To the chief minister query as to why work was not being carried out there at night, Soomro said there were law and order issues in the area.
The chief minister directed his principal secretary Naveed Kamran Baloch to talk to the DIGs concerned for the provision of security so that work on Hub River Road and a raod in Surjani could be carried out at night too.
The participants of the meeting were informed that the survey of widening Sharea Faisal from Metropole to Star Gate at a cost of Rs933.381 million, the survey of the construction of a storm-water drain from Jinnah Terminal to Chakor Nala at Natha Khan Bridge costing Rs149.988 million, the survey of a U-turn at Natha Khan Bridge worth Rsa94.76 million, and the survey for the construction of a road from Khairpur Town to National Highway link road including the portion connecting it to Super Highway costing Rs33.975 million were under way.
The reconstruction of the Mosmyat Road of Rs109.331 million had been completed by four percent and the remodeling of Baloch Colony Flyover and the construction of a road there costing Rs63.935 million had been finished by 20 percent. The project director said the construction of Pipri /pumping station Stage-I costing Rs666.99 million was in progress.
The schemes for which bids had been opened include the reconstruction of Drigh Road Flyover, the construction of Drigh Road Underpass including the reconstruction of the existing right turn bridge worth Rs662.599 million, the construction of Manzil Pump Flyover at N-5 Karachi costing Rs662.599 million, the construction of an underpass at Submarine Chowrangi to Sunset Boulevard, and the revamping of the Karachi Zoo.
The meeting was attended by local government minister Jam Khan Shoro, chief secretary Rizwan Memon, additional chief secretary M Waseem, finance secretary Hassan Naqvi, local government secretary Ramzan Awan, and Karachi commissioner Aijaz Khan.
