CM orders early completion of three bridges over railway crossings

Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah has directed the provincial works & services department to complete three under-construction overhead bridges over railway crossings in Tando Adam, Kotri and Jacobabad by June 2018 because the incomplete work has caused serious hardships to the people.

This he said while presiding over a meeting at the CM House on Wednesday to review progress on the incomplete schemes as well as the schemes started under the repair and maintenance (M&R) head.

The meeting was attended by P&D Chairman Mohammad Waseem, Pricnipal Secretary to CM Sohail Rajput, Secretary Works Aijaz Memon, chief engineer (roads) and other officers concerned.

The chief minister said that during his visit to Tando Adam in January last year he had visited the overhead bridge, including the approaching roads to the railway crossing, but noted that the works department had left the railway portion incomplete.

On this, Secretary Works Aijaz Memon told the chief minister that the railway authorities were not issuing an NOC for construction of the portion over the railway crossing. The chief minister expressed his displeasure and directed the secretary works to talk to the railway authorities and get the NOC. “In case of any issue I would personally talk to the concerned authorities,” he said and directed him to complete it by June 218.

Discussing the overhead bridge on the railway line between Kotri City and the Industrial Area, Kotri, Shah said he had visited the bridge in the first week of February. He added that the work on the bridge had been left complete.

The secretary works told the meeting that the Sindh High Court Circuit Bench, Hyderabad, had issued a stay order in September 2017. On this, the chief minister directed him to pursue the case in the court properly and get the stay order vacated and start the work.

He also advised him to see if the railway authorities had issued an NOC or not so that the matter could also be addressed accordingly. Shah said that work on the Bilawal Bhutto Zardari Flyover on the Jal Phatak railway crossing in Jaccobabad was also incomplete. Again the secretary said that some private parties had filed claims in the high court. On this, the chief minister said that the high court had not issued a stay order.

He directed P&D Chairman Mohammad Waseem to conduct an inquiry into the unnecessary delay in the completion of the work through the Chief Minister’s Inspection Team (CMIT) and report to him.

“I want you to personally visit the scheme and get it completed by June 2018. The government has utilised millions of rupees on these schemes and they would be of no use until they are completed.” He said he would launch the three schemes in June; therefore, all the relevant bottlenecks must be removed accordingly.