Unaccounted amount: CM expresses reservations over financing of Green Line bus project

KARACHI:

Sindh Chief Minister Syed Qaim Ali Shah has expressed his reservation over exclusion of operational charges from the original feasibility report (PC-I) of the Green Line Metro Bus project.

Shah asked the federal government to bear all expenses of the project and complete the Green Line Bus Project, rather than just laying its framework.

He also directed all authorities engaged in working on BRT’s projects to expedite their work and ensure ground work on Orange Line by this month. Shah was addressing a meeting on the Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) projects in the city at CM House on Monday.

The federal government had approved the PC-I of Green Line Metro Bus with an estimated cost of Rs16.1 billion, under the Prime Minister’s directives.

The officials said that Rs5.6 billion were allotted for the provision of buses and included operational charges. But now, it has been excluded from this project. “After omitting this provision, the federal government expects the provincial government to finance the project,” officials said.

Transport secretary Tauha Farooqui said that the agreement between Sindh government and Daewoo Company for launching inter-city bus project was ready to sign. “Hopefully, Daewoo will bring 100 buses this month to connect each divisional headquarter to Karachi,” he said.

Published in The Express Tribune, November 10^th, 2015.