Sindh CM wants early completion of bridges being built on railway crossings

Murad Ali Shah directs three under-construction overhead bridges to be completed by June

KARACHI: Chief Minister (CM) Murad Ali Shah has directed the works and services department to complete three under-construction overhead bridges over railway crossings at Tando Adam, Kotri and Jacobabad by June this year as the incomplete work is causing serious hardships to the people.

Shah gave these directives while presiding over a meeting to review the progress of the incomplete schemes and the projects started under the label of maintenance and repair at CM House on Wednesday. The meeting was attended by Planning and Development Chairperson Mohammad Waseem, Principal Secretary to the CM Sohail Rajput, Works and Services Secretary Aijaz Memon, the chief engineer for roads and other officers concerned.

The CM said that during his last visit to Tando Adam in January he had visited the overhead bridge, including the roads approaching to the railway crossing, and noted that aside from the railway portion, work on the bridge was almost complete.

To this, Memon informed the chief minister that the railway authorities were not issuing a no objection certificate (NOC) for construction of the portion over the railway crossing. The chief minister expressed his displeasure and directed the works secretary to personally talk to the railways authorities and obtain the NOC.



"In case of any issue, I will personally talk to the authorities concerned," he said and directed him to complete it by June.

Discussing the overhead bridge on the railway line between Kotri city and the Kotri Industrial Area, the CM said that he had visited the bridge in the first week of February. He said that work on the bridge has been left incomplete. The works secretary informed the CM that the Sindh High Court's Hyderabad circuit bench had issued a stay order in September, 2017.

To this, Shah directed him to pursue the case properly in court to get the stay order vacated and start work on the bridge. He advised him to check whether the railway authorities have issued an NOC so that this matter could also be addressed accordingly.

He said that work on the Bilawal Bhutto Zardari Flyover bridge on Jail Phatak in Jacaobad is also incomplete. The secretary again lamented that some private parties have filed claims in the high court.

The CM said that the high court has not issued a stay order, directing Waseem to conduct an inquiry into the unnecessary delay in completion of the work through the Chief Minister's Inspection Team and report to him.



"I want you to personally visit the scheme and get it completed by June," he told the planning and development chairperson.

"The government has utilised millions of rupees on these schemes and they would be of no use until they are completed," Shah said, adding that he will launch the three schemes in June, therefore all the relevant bottlenecks must be removed accordingly.

Maintenance and repair work

Reviewing the maintenance and repair works, Shah said that Rs5.32 billion was allocated in the current fiscal year for the repair and maintenance of different roads and so far Rs5 billion has been released. "The funds were allocated district-wise so that old roads could be improved for smooth flow of traffic," he said.



The CM was informed that under the project, work on four roads in Tando Mohammad Khan was started. The roads are the TM Khan-Mullah Katiar Road to village Lal Khan Brohi Road at a cost of Rs21.3 million, to Achar Patel village for Rs27.2 million, to Luqman Khaskheli village for Rs19.1 million and to Anwar Khan Nizamani village for Rs24.5 million.

The CM directed the planning and development chairperson to send his director-general for inspection of all the roads being repaired under the project's budget and report to him about their quality.