Chief minister blames Centre for delaying KCR

Transport minister directed to restart anti-encroachment operation on KCR route

KARACHI: Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah has accused the federal government of creating unnecessary hurdles to delay the Rs276 billion Karachi Circular Railway (KCR) project.

The CM accused the Centre while presiding over a meeting on the KCR at Chief Minister House on Wednesday. The meeting was attended by Transport and Information Minister Syed Nasir Hussain Shah, Transport Secretary Raheem Soomro and other officers.

The chief minister was told that the Central Development Working Party (CDWP) meeting had cleared the project but later a CDWP member raised some objections that the provincial government has addressed.



The CM said the CDWP created unnecessary hindrance in the path of the KCR. He said he wanted to raise the issue in the meeting of the Executive Committee of National Economic Council (Ecnec). The federal government assured me that Ecnec meeting would be convened shortly, the CM said, adding that so far no such meeting has been called.

The CM directed the transport minister to talk to the federal railway minister about delays in the KCR project. "If their officers cannot look after right of way of the KCR then its possession should be handed over to the Sindh government," he said.

The CM also directed the transport minister to restart the anti-encroachment operation on the KCR route. "I am issuing directives to the Karachi commissioner and police to get the route vacated," he said, adding that he has committed to the people of Karachi that work on the KCR project would start by the end of this year.