Work on 14 uplift projects to start next month

Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah on Monday directed the local government department to begin work on 14 projects, part of the second phase of the provincial government's city development schemes, from December 15.

He issued these directives while presiding over a meeting held to review the progress of the first phase of the uplift drive and to fix a date for the start of the next phase.

Worth Rs8 billion, the 14 schemes comprise Rs350 million worth project for construction of road from Tank Chowrangi to the Super Highway via Thadho Nalo; Rs280 million worth reconstruction of Tipu Sultan Road from Sharea Faisal to Karsaz; Rs1,500 million project for construction of bridge at Tipu Sultan Road and the Khalid Bin Waleed intersection at Shaheed-e-Millat Road.

Among other schemes are widening of the Stadium Road from the University Road up to the Rashid Minhas Road, worth Rs270 million, remodelling of a road in Landhi, worth Rs1,500 million, improvement of road at Cantt Station at a cost of Rs240 million, Rs650 million worth construction of road from Fawawra Chowk to Garden via the Abduallah Haroon Road and back to the Chowk through the Zaibunnisa Street, Rs200 million worth construction of bridge over the Korangi Nullah near Habib Bank and Rs700 million project for construction of a bridge at the Sunset Boulevard and Gizri Boulevard intersection.

Construction of storm water drain from Hassan Square to the Lyari River, worth Rs700 million, construction of another drain from Star Gate to Chakora Nullah at Sharea Faisal, for Rs200 million, and Rs400 million worth project to improve water supply to Baldia Town are also a part of the phase-II.

Discussing all the schemes, Murad told the local government minister, Jam Khan Shoro, that, “I would perform the groundbreaking ceremony now and not extend the date.”

He also ordered the project director, Niaz Soomro, to open one track of the Submarine Underpass on December 15 and begin work on the Sunset Boulevard flyover on the same day. The CM called for an alternate route to be devised so that commuters are not inconvenienced during the construction period.

Approved by Murad, the Rs1 billion worth plan to improve the ICI inter-change and plan for construction of Lee Market flyover in Lyari, at an estimated cost of Rs644 million, have been put up on the Sindh Public Procurement Regulatory Authority’s website for technical evaluation.

Shoro, while briefing the CM, said 95 per cent of the work on the University Road project has been completed, while work on the patch leading to Safoora Goth from the NED University has been completed by 82 percent.

He added that repair works at the Mosmiyat Road and in Baloch Colony have been completed. Furthermore, he informed that progress of other repair schemes including of the Surjani Town road to Madinatul Hikmat has been completed by 96 per cent, whereas only five per cent construction has been carried out of the U-turn at the Natha Khan bridge, widening of Sharea Faisal at both sides from the Metropole Hotel to Star Gate stands 83 per cent completed, whereas construction of the Drigh Road underpass stands 81 per cent completed.

Construction of Manzil Pump has been carried out, whereas 42 per cent of reconstruction work at the Karachi Zoo has been carried out. The meeting was attended by principal secretary to CM Sohail Rajput, secretary local government Ramzan Awan, commissioner Karachi Aijaz Khan and engineer Karachi Package, Khalid, among others.