KARACHI: Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah has said that with the completion of 503 road schemes launched under ADP 2017-18 and six schemes of 328 km taken up under Asian Development Bank assistance, Sindh would give a decent look with adequate road infrastructure.
He said this while presiding over a meeting here at the CM House to review the progress of road sector schemes launched by Works & Services department all over Sindh. The meeting was attended by provincial minister Imdad Pitafi, Chairman P&D Mohammad Waseem, Principal Secretary Sohail Rajput, Secretary Works Aijaz Ahmed Memon, Muqeem Anasri Chief Engineer Highways Sukkur and Prem Chand PD SPRIP Hyderabad and others.
Minister Works Imdad Pitafi told the participants of the meeting that the works & Services Department has launched a Rs26 billion 496 schemes which include 488 of road and eight of building sectors. The government has released Rs8.3 billion. He added that by the end of June 2018, 146 schemes would be completed. He went on saying that under the Asian Development Bank (ADB) Assistance six schemes of 328 kilometers are going on for Rs22.7 million.
Secretary Works Aijaz Memon while explaining the progress of ADB schemes, he said that Thul -Kandhkot Road, a 44-km schemes launched in December 2016 at the cost of Rs2.065 billion has achieved 15 percent progress. The 36-km Sheranpur to Ratodero schemes launched for Rs1.45 billion has 13 percent progress. 64-km Khyber to Sanghar via Tando Adam road of Rs2.8 billion has 5 percent progress. 63-km Sanghar to Mirpurkhas via Sindhri Road has 6 percent progress. On this, the chief minister expressed his displeasure and directed DC Mirpurkhas on telephone to personally visit the under-construction road and report him whether the work was going on or it has been halted. “I would not tolerate this kind of lethargy- I have reports that work has been stopped on the scheme for the reasons best known to the concerned engineer .”
The secretary also told the meeting that 67 km-Tando Mohammad Khan to Badin road launched for Rs3.39 billion has 5.32 percent progress and the 54-km Digri to Naukot road of Rs3.35 billion has 5.7 percent. The chief minister directed the secretary to activate his engineers to complete the work with best quality in time.
Published in Daily Times, July 28th , 2017.
