No development at Gorakh Hills despite payment to consultants

Sindh Tourism department has paid over Rs25 million to different private consultant firms which have conducted surveys instead of solid development at Gorakh Hills; well placed sources told Business Recorder here on Wednesday.
Gorakh Hills have been located in Dadu district, 450 kms North of Karachi. Gorakh peak lies at the altitude of 5688 feet.
According to sources available to Business Recorder, in 2007, the Satellite Survey work by M/s Fugro Geodetieltes and Master Planning by M/s Shankland Cox Naqvi & Siddiquie with the cost of Rs26.615 Million has been completed on the site.
Later, Tourism Department has appointed Advisory Consultants Ernest & Young Karachi on 24th February 2010, mainly to attract Private Partnership.
In the mean time, on the advice of the Advisory Consultants, Topographic Survey & Geo Technical Investigation of Main Access Road from Wahi Pandhi to Gorakh Hills was tendered and two firms Al-Hasnain Enterprise for Topographic Survey with cost of Rs.1, 325,000 and Soil Testing Services for Geo Technical Investigation with cost of Rs925, 500 have been selected.
PPP-led Sindh government had restarted the development work of Gorakh hills and established Gorakh Hills Development Authority with the responsibility of planning, developing and managing the hilly areas of Gorakh. The purpose is to create sustainable and eco-friendly tourist destination for the people, by engaging local community and private sector in the development process.
Unfortunately, the development has not been made at the Gorakh Hills despite passage of over three years of current provincial Government, sources further said.
When contacted, Minister for Law and Tourism Ayaz Soomro has confirmed this and said that development has not been made on site but people before me have used millions of rupees on repeated surveys.
He said that on the directive of President Asif Ali Zardari, I met the representatives of Karachi Chamber of Commerce and Industry (KCCI) and I have invited them for investment on Gorakh Hills.
He said that I have been assigned Tourism portfolio about two months ago and people will see the real development on Gorakh Hills in the next couple of months.