National Highway Authority (NHA) is currently undertaking 61 development projects across the country. An amount of Rs 39.9 billion has been allocated under Public Sector Development Programme (PSDP) 2011-12 for NHA projects. This was revealed by Minister for Communication Dr Arbab Alamgir Khan on Thursday in the National Assembly in reply to questions.
The Minister acknowledged the paucity of funds as a deterrent to the completion of identified projects and revealed that it was decided that NHA would provide funds to only those projects that have achieved 60 percent completion. In reply to another question, the Minister said that the NHA spent Rs 164.62 billion on development projects and a total of 2,013km roads were constructed in different provinces during 2006-11. While giving details, he said that the NHA constructed 831km in Punjab, 296km in Sindh, 415km in Balochistan, 425km in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa and 46km in Azad Jammu and Kashmir.
The Minister said that the NHA incurred Rs 31 billion in 2007-08, Rs 32.3 billion in 2008-09, Rs 44.8 billion in 2009-10 and Rs l27.3 billion in 2010-11. NHA's development projects include road length, bridges, flyovers, culverts and interchanges, etc. Answering another question the Minister said that the NHA has spent Rs 11.44 billion for maintenance/upkeep of national highway in Punjab since 2008-09 till today.
Replying to another supplementary question, the Minister said that Rs 4 billion was paid as compensation to owners of 7,500 houses for completion of Lyari Expressway. He said that it was decided that provincial and Federal governments would provide funds to pay compensation to affected people.
The Minister said that NHA had disbursed Rs 0.5 million each to the victims of Sher Shah Bridge tragedy adding that additional Rs 0.5 million each was paid to them on Supreme Court directives. He said that NHA has undertaken rehabilitation and up-gradation of 4-lane road between Lahore-Gujranwala (N-5) into 6-lane. Main carriageway has already been opened to traffic, however, certain ancillary works are under execution, he said and added that the project now would be completed by June.
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