KARACHI: Sindh Chief Minister (CM) Syed Murad Ali Shah has announced that 365 uplift schemes worth Rs218.6 billion have been launched in Karachi against which the allocation of Rs53 billion has been made in Automatic Data Processing (ADP) 2018-19.
The announcement was made by the Sindh CM on Wednesday while presiding over a high-profile meeting to review the progress of ongoing development schemes.
The meeting was attended by Local Government Minister Saeed Ghani, Chief Secretary Mumtaz Shah, Planning & Development (P&D) Chairman Mohammad Waseem, Principal Secretary to CM Sajid Jamal Abro, Secretary Finance Najam Shah, Karachi Commissioner Iftikhar Shahlwani, Local Government Secretary Khalid Hyder Shah, Local Government Special Secretary Niaz Soomro, Project Director Khalid Masroor and others.
The chief minister said that he was satisfied with the fact that out of 365 schemes, 16 mega projects for the city have been completed in 2016-17 while 17 other mega projects were near to completion.
The projects which have been completed at a cost of Rs6638.815 billion include the upgrading of Pipri Filter Plant, Drig Colony Flyover, Manzil Pump Flyover, construction of Link Road to Khairpur Town, University Road, Tariq Road, Mosamyat Road, Hub River Road, Surjani to Madinatul Hikmat Road, widening of Shahrah-e-Faisal, remodelling of Baloch Colony Flyover, a stormwater drain from Jinnah Terminal to Chakora Nala and Natha Khan Bridge, stormwater drain from Hassan Square to Lyari River and a bridge at the intersection of Sunset Boulevard and Gizri Boulevard.
P&D Chairman Mohammad Waseem told the meeting that 40 schemes worth Rs128441.255 million have been launched through the ADP of 2018-19, whereas this years’ allocation amounts to a total of Rs34476.292 million.
The chief minister told the meeting that his government had engaged the World Bank to conduct the Karachi Diagnostic Study which led to the formulation of Karachi Transformation Strategy. The study suggests the pathway for improving city livability and competitiveness. Therefore, investments would mainly be made in three sectors including the Municipal Service Delivery (MSD), Urban Transport and the Karachi Neighbourhood Improvement Programme (KNIP).
These schemes include the conversion of existing schools into model schools, the construction of an educational complex, completion of college buildings, establishment of Shaheed Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto (SZAB) Law University, Bilawal Bhutto Engineering College in Lyari, SZAB Engineering College in Memon Goth, establishment of Sindh Institutute of Traumatology, orthopedics ward at National Institute of Public Administration (NIPA), Shaheed Benazir Bhutto (SBB) Medical Complex near Razakabad, extension of Sindh Institute of Urology and Transplantation (SIUT), paeds unit at National Institute of Cardiovascular Diseases (NICVD), Medical College Karachi, SBB Medical College in Lyari, forensic lab, 34 courts at Korangi, rehabilitation of Karachi Fish Harbor, 100 MGD pump houses, upgradation of Dhabeji pumping station, 65 MGD additional water supply from Haleji to Pipri, revamping of Gujjar Nala, rehabilitation of filter plants at Gharo, improvement of main Hawksbay Road, revival of surroundings of Empress Market, establishment of six garbage transfer stations, development of two sanitary engineered landfill sites, S-III, establishment of five Combined Effluent Treatment Plants (CETP), construction of underpass at Submarine Chowrangi, Flyover at Tipu Sultan Intersection, remodeling a road in Landhi, improvement of road from Fuwara Chowk to Garden Chowk via Abdullah Haroon Road, rehabilitation of road from Jam Sadiq Bridge to Dawood Chowrangi, KNIP, establishment of Directorate of Urban Policy and Strategic Planning Unit, Orange Line, Integrated Intelligence Transportation System (IITS), rehabilitation of Link Road from Malir 15 to Memon Goth and the K-IV project augmentation.
Speaking about transport and urban connectivity, CM Murad said that the KCR, six BRT lines, two MRT lines and a Southern Bypass connecting Southern Karachi with Superhighway at Kathore are part of the government’s plans to connect Southern and Northern areas of Karachi.
He directed the provincial finance secretary to release funds for all development projects to ensure their timely completion.
Further, the CM asked about the status of the project of carpeting of the road from Fawara Chowk to Saddar to which the provincial chief executive informed him that police hurdles had caused a delay in the project. “No one will create a hindrance in any development work, start the work by Friday”, the CM strictly ordered before concluding the meeting.