Mayor sets 60-day deadline for completion of all pending projects

Several projects have yet to begin despite the issuance of award letters, while others are behind schedule

KARACHI:

City Mayor Murtaza Wahab has ordered the immediate cancellation of several contracts in a bold move to address the persistent delays in the ongoing development projects in the metropolis. He also set a 60-day deadline for the completion of all near-finished or pending projects, warning that any further delay would result in disciplinary action and contractual penalties for the concerned parties.

The decision comes in response to the failure of contractors to meet the set deadlines, causing inconvenience to Karachiites. The mayor also announced the formation of Rapid Response Teams (RRTs) tasked with carrying out urgent road repairs and infrastructure rehabilitation on a fast-track basis across the city.

The directive was issued during a high-level review meeting convened at the Karachi Metropolitan Corporation (KMC) Head Office, where the progress of 637 ongoing development schemes was assessed.

Senior Director of Engineering Junaid Ullah Khan briefed the meeting on the progress of these projects, highlighting that 118 new schemes under the Provincial ADP had been initiated. These included 11 projects in District East, 28 in District Central, 21 in District West, 20 in District Korangi, and 14 projects managed by the Electrical & Mechanical (E&M) Wing. A number of other schemes are being funded under special allocations.

As part of the E&M department's solarisation initiative, two streets had been solarised, with Sharae Faisal slated for solarisation in the coming days.

Expressing his frustration over the continued delays, Mayor Wahab termed the situation "unacceptable," stressed that several projects had yet to begin despite the issuance of award letters, while others were significantly behind schedule.

"This is a failure of accountability and governance. It's an embarrassment for the city, and more importantly, a disservice to Karachiites who deserve timely improvements in infrastructure," he added.