Govt is carrying out development work without any political bias, assures CM

Murad commits to upgrading Karachi's infrastructure, examines the progress of development projects

KARACHI: Sindh Chief Minister (CM) Syed Murad Ali Shah has said that Ghotki's district administration has the capacity to provide security during the upcoming by-polls, to be held in the NA-205 constituency, but the final decision regarding the deployment of security forces and other security arrangements on the polling day rests with the Election Commission of Pakistan.

He said this while talking to media during surprise visits to different parts of Karachi. He was accompanied by Sindh Local Government Minister Saeed Ghani and Adviser to CM on Information, Law and Anti-Corruption Barrister Murtaza Wahab.

New schemes

While speaking to media personnel during his visit to Lyari, Shah said that the government has been carrying out development work in the city without any political biases.

"We don't care whether the areas' residents voted for PPP or not. We only care about their problems and their rights," he said, adding that the provision of basic facilities and development of infrastructure is people's right, for which the PPP government is working hard.

He also assured that the Blue Line Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) project hasn't been abandoned or cancelled. The project is facing delays as private partners have withdrawn from it and the government is exploring other alternatives to complete and launch the project, he said.

The CM further said that Yellow Line and Red Line BRT projects are to be launched with the assistance of the Asian Development Bank (ADB) and the World Bank (WB), adding that both these projects have been approved by ADB and WB but are yet to be approved by the Executive Committee of National Economic Council (ECNEC).

"I have requested the federal finance minister to get these projects approved by ECNEC, so that we can begin work on them," he said. "The federal finance minister has assured that the projects will get approval in the next ECNEC meeting."

Ongoing schemes

The CM also visited Shaheed-e-Millat Road, Garden, Korangi, Hawkesbay Road and other localities to examine the progress of ongoing and newly-launched development initiatives.

He told the media that seven new development schemes have been launched in the city, the collective cost of which accumulates to around Rs1,714.340 million.

These schemes include the rehabilitation of II Chundrigar Road at a cost of Rs248.340 million, rehabilitation of Ibne Sina Road, from Liaquatabad no. 10 to Sher Shah, at a cost of Rs260 million, rehabilitation and beautification of University Road, from MA Jinnah Road to Peoples Chowrangi, at a cost of Rs190 million, beautification of MT Khan Road at a cost of Rs176million, beautification of Shahrah-e-Pakistan, from Sohrab Goth to Guru Mandir, at a cost of Rs180 million, beautification of Rashid Minhas Road, from Nagan Chowrangi to Shahrae Faisal, at a cost of Rs160 million and the construction of a 200-feet-wide road linking Manghopir Road to Shahrah-e-Qaddafi Orangi-Surjani Link Road.

Moreover, the CM said that 17 new schemes have been initiated under the Karachi Package, worth Rs10.76 million, which will be completed by the end of December this year.

These ongoing schemes include the construction of an underpass at Submarine Chowrangi, at a cost of Rs2.2 billion, which is 95% complete, rehabilitation of Karachi Zoo, at a cost of Rs391.934 million, which is more than 55% complete, construction of a road from Tank Chowrangi to Super Highway, via Thadho Nala, at a cost of Rs574.175 million, which is 99% complete, construction of an underpass at Tariq Road intersection, along Shaheed-e-Millat Road, at a cost of Rs314.491 million, which is 8% complete and construction of another underpass at Hyder Ali Road intersection, at a cost of Rs273.776 million, which is 70% complete.

Additionally, the ongoing schemes also include the reconstruction of Stadium Road, from University Road to Rashid Minhas Road, at a cost of Rs693.505 million, which is 80% complete, construction of a U-turn at Natha Khan Bridge, at a cost of Rs214.466 million, which is 5% complete, construction of roads in areas surrounding Lea Market, Lyari, at a cost of Rs649.21 million, which is 32% complete, widening of bridge over Orangi nullah, at a cost of Rs125.35 million, which is 56% complete, and the construction of a storm water drain from Star Gate to Chalor nullah, at a cost of Rs108.806 million.

Completed Schemes

The CM informed the media that 20 schemes, initiated under the Rs16.587-billion Karachi Package, have been completed. These comprise the construction and upgradation of different roads and flyovers including Manzil Pump flyover, University Road, Tariq Road, Mosamiyat Road, Hub River Road, Shahrah-e- Faisal, Baloch Colony flyover and Drig Road underpass. Moreover, the upgradation of high rises and the bridge located at the intersection of Sunset Boulevard has also been completed.

The CM said that he is committed to developing Karachi and upgrading the city's infrastructure, so as to facilitate its residents, adding that had the provincial government not faced a shortfall of Rs95 billion, in the 2018-19 federal transfers, it would have managed to complete many more project in the last financial year.

Ghotki by-election

With regard to the upcoming by-election in Ghotki, the CM said that the NA-205 constituency has been a traditional stronghold of the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) and that his party members have been elected on provincial assembly seats many times from this constituency in the past. However, expressing disappointment, he said, "Our provincial assembly members [elected from this area] have remained ineffective otherwise PPP would have managed to bag the NA-205 seat in the 2018 general elections."

Brushing aside the impression of PPP using government machinery in the by-polls, the CM said that the opponents are foreseeing their defeat and are therefore levelling baseless allegations against his party. "Previously, they [opponents] had claimed that PPP had no candidate to contest the by-election on NA-205 seat and now, when we have fielded a popular candidate, they have stooped down to accusing us of using government machinery," he said.

The CM expressed the hope that the PPP candidate will win the by-polls. "The PPP candidate has launched a vigourous and door-to-door campaign and I am sure that he will get majority votes," he said.