KARACHI: Sindh Chief Minister (CM) Murad Ali Shah, while expressing his displeasure, has directed Karachi Package project director on Monday to expedite construction work on U-turn at Shahrah-e-Faisal, otherwise he would take strict action against the officials for showing professional laxity.
He said this while presiding over a meeting to review development schemes under Karachi Package which were delayed for different reasons.
The meeting was attended by Planning and Development (P&D) Chairman Mohammad Waseem, Principal Secretary to CM Sohail Rajput, Finance Secretary Hassan Naqvi, Karachi Package officer Niaz Soomro and Karachi Package Engineer Khalid Masroor.
The chief minister said that the work on the construction of U-turn at Nathakhan bridge had not been taken up so far. As a result, traffic jams in that area had become unbearable. “Do you have any idea how much problems people in the area are facing,” the CM asked the officials concerned. He directed P&D Chairman Mohammad Waseem to visit the area and initiate work at the earliest. He also sought a detailed report from the P&D in this connection.
It may be noted that the chief minister had already released Rs 214.466 million for construction of U-turn and other development works.
CM Murad also said that the underpass at Submarine chowrangi had not been completed so far. He directed the Local Government department to maintain the beauty of Shahrah-e-Faisal by planting more plants in the area. “Shahrah-e-Faisal is the face of the city and it must be beautiful, neat, clean and illuminated,” he said.
Principal Secretary Sohail Rajput told the chief minister that he had held a meeting with some architects for face uplifting of the areas falling in front of Jinnah terminal on Shahrah-e-Faisal. “The architects would start beautification work within 10 days,” he informed the CM.
On this the chief minister said that the areas around the flyover on Shahrah-e-Faisal at Jinnah terminal and the apartments along the road must be made visually beautiful. “When any person come down from the airport he must feel the beauty of the city,” he said.
CM Murad directed the PD Karachi Package to start survey of the roads of old city of Lyari such as Lee market, Mitha Dar, Khara Dar, Jhuna market, Cheel chowk, Kalakot and other areas, and said, “I am allocating Rs 600 million for the reconstruction of the roads.”
He also directed the department concerned to reconstruct the roads leading to Jamaat Khan at Kharadar. This should also be uplifted at the earliest. “I would personally review the progress of the works,” he said.
The CM, while taking serious notice of the murder of a newly married couple committed on the orders of a jirga at Mominabad, directed Sindh inspector general to give him a detailed report and arrest all the persons involved in the crime.
He said that this was a metropolitan city and not a tribal area where jirgas are held. “I would not allow such kind of barbarianism here,” he said, and directed the inspector general to start crackdown against such criminals and bring them to the book.
He also directed the inspector general to take action against those police officers who failed to perform their duties in order to improve the working of the police department in the province.
