Minister boasts 127 roads built within 4 years

The City District Government Karachi (CDGK) has worked on at least 127 roads between 2005 and 2009, boasted Local Bodies’ Minister Agha Siraj Durrani at the Sindh Assembly session on Friday.

The reconstruction and renovation on these roads has improved the traffic situation in the city to a great extent, he said, adding that better roads have helped save both time and fuel.

Durrani said that the CDGK designed the Karachi Strategic Development Plan 2020 to give a direction to the future pattern of the city.

This plan gained a legal status under section-140 of the Sindh Local Government Ordinance-2001 when it was approved on December 15, 2007.

The city government also utilised Rs100 million to develop small and large parks in all 18 towns of Karachi, he added.

Intercity Bus Terminal

Durrani also explained during the session that the Intercity Bus Terminal Project near Super Highway has yet to be started due to encroachments. Unless these encroachments are removed or an alternate land is made available to the city government, the project will not start.

Malir Development Authority

No development was carried out by the Malir Development Authority (MDA) in the union councils of Ibrahim Hyderi, Landhi, Darsano Channo, Gadap, Thano, Konkar, Moiudan, Songal , Milat Garden, Sahihdad Goth, Pir Buksh Goth, Hashim Goth, Panwhar Goth, Ismail Goth and Hamal Goth between 2003 and2004 and again between 2007 and 2008 because they were managed by the administration responsible for development, clamed Durrani.

Durrani informed the house that a retired officer of B8-20 rank has been allowed to serve as the director-general of MDA on a temporary basis as the authority has no managing director.

The chairperson of MDA is competent to issue any notification under MDA’s the jurisdiction and issue such notification through the Sindh Government Gazette so that the general public is also informed.

MDA developed roads in Taiser Town that helped the residents of Gadap Town as well, he added.

Lyari Expressway

Durrani said that the 16.5-kilometres-long North Bound Carriageway of Lyari Expressway is under construction and 68 per cent has been completed.

The reason for delay in the completion of the North Bound portion is that the Right of Way (ROW) has yet to be cleared by the CDGK.

The remaining 32 per cent work includes relocating residents once the ROW has been cleared. The project is expected to be completed by the end of this year.

Heritage buildings

The cultural department has notified that 635 buildings have been declared as “protected heritage” while the technical committee has declared 157 buildings as dangerous. Twenty-two of these buildings are included in the protected heritage list, Durrani said.

He said that buildings declared as protected heritage cannot be demolished but their owners can approach the court and obtain a stay order in their favour.

Circular Railway

Sindh Chief Minister Qaim Ali Shah said that work on Karachi Circular Railway (KCR) will be initiated this year with the help of $900 million provided by Japan. The project will be completed by 2013, he assured.

Shah said that all hurdles in way of the KCR have been removed, adding that the Executive Committee of the National Economic Council has approved the project.

Karachi Building Control Authority

The Karachi Building Control Authority (KBCA) has surveyed the buildings constructed in violation of building control rules and initiated the legal process, said Durrani, adding that KBCA has requested the home department to provide security during operations against illegal buildings.

Durrani explained that a building is declared illegal if it is constructed without obtaining the approval from KBCA or when the builder violated the approved plan.

Lyari Development Authority

Lyari Development Authority (LDA) could not carry out any development in union council (UC) Manghopir in Gadap Town and other 11 union councils of Lyari Town between 2003 and 2007 because these UCs do not fall in the development plan of Scheme-42, Durrani explained.

These areas fall within the jurisdiction of LDA but do not fall in the scope of LDA’s Development Scheme-42. Hence no work had been carried out by LDA in these UCs.

Published in The Express Tribune, June 19^th, 2010.