Karachi Package projects to be completed by end of May

Sindh CM briefed on progress of development works at meeting

KARACHI: The ongoing Rs10 billion development work in Karachi will be completed by the end of May but the emergence of encroachments on newly-constructed roads is disappointed, said Sindh Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah. "They must be removed on war footings because they are causing traffic jams and defacing the beauty of the new roads," he said while presiding over a meeting to review the progress of schemes started under Karachi Package.

The meeting was attended by Local Government Minister Jam Khan Shoro, Chief Secretary Rizwan Memon, Principal Secretary to the CM Naveed Kamran Baloch, Planning and Development Chairperson M Waseem, Local Government Secretary Ramzan Awan, Traffic DIG Asif Shaikh, Karachi Package Project Director Niaz Soomro, Chief Engineer Khalid Masroor and others.



The chief secretary claimed that car showroom owners have again begun parking their cars on main roads such as Tariq Road, Khalid Bin Waleed Road and in Clifton. He said this is causing traffic jams and defacing the beauty of the new projects, which led the CM to direct DIG Shaikh to challan the vehicles "Enough is enough - I don't want to discuss the things which have already been decided," he said.

Shah pointed out that he has reports that most of the shopping malls on Tariq Road, University Road and in Clifton and Gulshan-e-Iqbal have parking spaces but they have turned them into godowns. "I want you to go and restore their godowns into parking areas and report back to me," he directed Karachi Commissioner Ejaz Ahmed Khan.

Soomro said 40% work on the upgrade of the Pipri Filter Plant at a cost of Rs900 million has been completed. Once the civil work is completed the mechanical work would be done at the earliest, he said.



The CM was told that the Rs884.23 million construction on University Road from Hassan Square to Nipa has been completed 55%, while the road from NED University to Safoora, which costs Rs832 million, has been completed 44%. The CM asked for the reason for the delay and was told the storm water drain along the road had to be constructed afresh.

Work from Tariq Road to Shaheed-e-Millat and to Sharae-e-Quaideen was launched at a cost of Rs569.82 million and has been completed, the CM was told. The entire road network has been given proper drainage system and storm water drain and only the newly constructed footpaths have yet to be painted, said Soomro. The chief minister said he would inaugurate the road by the end of this week.

The chief minister was also informed that 55% of the work on the Rs200.68 million Mosmiyat Road has been completed while work on Hub River Road is 57% completed. He assured the CM that by May 15 both the projects would be completed.



The chief minister told that the progress of RS912.245 million Surjani to Madinatul Hikmat Road is 60 percent, widening of Shahrah-e-Faisal of Rs933.381 million is 42 percent. On this the chief minister expressed his displeasure and said that he had visited the road a number of times but work is slow. He ordered day and night work and directed the PD to complete it by May 15.