ECNEC approves PC-1s of 9 road projects worth Rs56,926.31m

ISLAMABAD: Chairman National Highway Authority (NHA) Mohammad Junaid said Wednesday that Economic Committee of the National Economic Council (ECNEC) has approved PC-1 of nine major projects of NHA across the country, worth Rs 56,926.31 million.

Addressing the Executive Board meeting of NHA here, he said that ECNEC has approved an amount of Rs.23 566.0 million for post-flood reconstruction and replacement Projects. It is to be recalled that NHA has already spent Rs 800 million on temporary rehabilitation of the road network damaged due to the floods.

The ECNEC has approved in Punjab Qasim Bela- Shershah Road Multan Bypass (12.3 km) costing Rs. 2,681.000 million, Bridge across River Ravi Linking Basti Dulluan-Sandhilianwali costing Rs 2,089.464 million and Rehabilitation, Up-gradation & Dualization of Multan- Shujaabad-Jalalpur Pirwala-Uch Sharif-TM Panah (142 km)costing Rs. 8,493.876 million.

He told the Board that the projects approved by ECNEC in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa include Shatial-Thor Nullah Bypass (34 km)(Rs. 3,844.431 million ), 2-Lane Bridge across River Indus at Khushalgarh( Rs.1,538.00 million), and Malakand Tunnel (Phase-I) 4.25 km with 12.9 km access road (Rs. 9,043.325 million).

In Sindh and Baluchistan, he told, one project each has been approved by ECNEC which include rehabilitation of Larkana-Rasheed Waggan-Naseerabad Road (33km) in Sindh, costing Rs. 1, 214.582 million and reconstruction of Basima-Khuzdar road (110 km), costing 4454.631 million.

The Executive Board also discussed changes in the Regulatory Framework & SOP for preservation and commercial use of Right-of-Way (RoW), which deals with installation of amenities such as filling/CNG stations, hotels/motels, shops, etc., laying of utility lines / services viz natural gas, telephone, electricity, water, optical fibre, oil, etc., display of promotional material and removal of encroachments.

The members observed that if some person, given No Objection Certificates for business along the National Highway Network, wants to change the nature of business or desires to shift the location of business, he should pay fee separately in each case.

The Board also observed that setting up permanent structures should be avoided and top most priority should be attached to the safety of the road users.

It was also recommended that Motorway Police should be involved in the process of giving NOCs along the National Highways and Motorways so that their concerns and reservations relating to safety of the commuters could be eliminated.

Copyright APP (Associated Press of Pakistan), 2011