Maintenance of roads: NHA to spend Rs 17 billion

National Highway Authority's Member Operation Mujeeb Qadri has said that NHA will spend Rs 17 billion on maintenance of roads in year 2012-13 throughout Pakistan. He was addressing the NHA Stakeholders Conference held here on Monday to discuss the NHA annual maintenance plan.
Highlighting the importance of conference, he said opinions and suggestion of stakeholders were pre-requisite for the maintenance plan as NHA believed through mutual consultation and need assessment. It would be able to bring forth a better maintenance plan. He said the project was being prioritised through consultation with stakeholders, adding the expected revenue through different sources was Rs 16 billion.
Representatives of transport associations, gas station representatives, National Highway and Motorway police and general public were also present on the occasion. General Manager K P Fazal Nawab Khattak speaking on the occasion said, "We are proposing Rs 5.9 billion maintenance plan for 2012-13 for N-5, damaged due to Nato trucks, N-45 upper dir central road and flood damaged roads of N-95 in Swat. Current Financial Year spending as maintenance has been 985 million and the spending has been marred due to flood, terrorism and financial crunch.
GM Punjab Mukesh Kumar said in 2011-12 spending as Annual Maintenance had been Rs 408.24 million, adding that work on Khayali Bridge had been completed and would be opened for traffic by end of this month. GM Gilgit Baltistan said his region covered 700 km roads of KKH and Gilgit Skardu road.
He said up-gradation of KKH was being completed by Chinese Company CRBC at cost of 510.42 million dollars and would be completed by 2014, adding the expected completion was in 2012 but it was delayed due to Attabad lake phenomenon. He said 275.06 million dollars were being spent on road destroyed due to Attabad Lake.
GM Operations said roads were national asset and every citizen of Pakistan should take care of assets. Overloading causes major damage to roads and NHA has launched an axle control regime to control overloading. To control this, 112 weigh stations are being constructed across the country. Presently 42 weigh stations are functional. He said NHA was affecting construction of weigh station through public private partnership due to financial crunch.