KCR, Keti Bandar projects in implementation stage: Murad

Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah has said the Karachi Circular Railway (KCR) and Keti Bandar power project are the most important development projects, as the former would resolve the commuters’ problems in the city and the latter would play vital role in boosting the economy of the country in general and of the province in particular. 

This he said while talking to Chinese Ambassador to Pakistan Sun Weidong, who called on him at the CM House on Friday. The meeting was also attended by the Chinese counsel general in Karachi, Principal Secretary to the CM Sohail Rajput.

He said the KCR, Keti Bandar and special economic projects had been approved within the CPEC framework, while the KCR had reached the implementation stage. “I am thankful for your support and cooperation,” he said to the ambassador of China.

The chief minister said that the KCR route had been cleared from encroachments and the Pakistan Railways was on board for acquiring 360 acres for right of way for the KCR. The Keti Bandar project was being processed for preparing its feasibility while land had been allocated for the China-Pakistan Special Economic Zone at Dhabeji, he added. 

“Once the feasibility and other approvals of the Keti Bandar and the Special Economic Zone Dhabeji are made, they would be presented in the next Joint Working Group (JWG) meeting.”   The Chinese ambassador told the chief minister that at present 20,000 Pakistanis, including students, were living in China. 

“This kind of mutual understanding for development and prosperity would further strengthen with the completion of the CPEC project,” the chief minister said and added that he had witnessed that the Thari workers engaged in the coal mining project and Chinese were easily communicating with each other. “This shows that Tharis are also learning Chinese,” he said.

The Sindh government through the federal government had already provided the feasibility report of the KCR to the Chinese Ministry of Transport, the tender document had been made ready and by the second week of December 2017 the contract would be awarded and the foundation stone of the project would be laid at the Wazir Mansion Railway Station on December 25, the birthday of Quaid-e-Azam Mohammad Ali Jinnah. He said that the KCR, Keti Bandar and special economic Zone at Dhabejo would usher in new vistas of development and prosperity in the province.

Education meeting

Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah expressed his satisfaction with the resumption of classes at the Aisha Bawany College. 

“It was the commitment of the Sindh government and the support of students, parents, teachers and the civil society that education activities returned to the Aisha Bawany College; otherwise, it would have been turned into a marriage hall,” he said while presiding over a meeting on the education department.

The chief minister directed the secretaries of college and school education to pay special attention to improving educational standards.

“This would happen when the teachers would take classes properly, check copies, give home work to students and get personally involved in the system,” he said and added that otherwise nothing would improve.

The chief minister also issued directives to all the government departments, particularly those of education, health and local government, to properly follow their cases pending in courts. “From now onward I would take disciplinary action if any department loses a legal battle in the courts,” he warned.