Sindh govt has banned purchase of vehicles amid COVID-19: CM

KARACHI: Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah Saturday on floor of the Sindh Assembly said that his government had banned purchase of vehicles during COVID-19 emergency and any operational vehicle which had to be purchased would need cabinet approval.

While comparing the last four years expenditure of Sindh government with other provincial governments and the federal government, on purchase of vehicles, Murad Ali Shah said that during the last four years, 2016-17 to 2018-19, his government purchased vehicles of Rs7.2 billion while the Punjab government spent Rs 16.15 billion on purchase of vehicles, Balochistan Rs 7.8 billion, KPK Rs 5.2 billion and the federal government Rs 23.01 billion.

The chief minister said that in 2018-19, the Sindh government purchased vehicles of Rs 330.5 million, Punjab Rs 1447.6 million vehicles, Balochistan Rs1878.2 million, KPK Rs 1361.3 million and the federal government Rs 5,501 million.

In 2019-20, the Sindh spent Rs 438.5 million on purchase of vehicles, Punjab utilized Rs 3416.8 million on purchase of vehicles, Balochistan Rs 2533.9 million, KPK 2093.2 million and the federal government Rs 4517.2 million.

As a matter of fact, In 2019-20, Sindh Rs 625 million budget estimated for purchase of vehicles, Punjab has Rs1700 million, Balochistan Rs4800 million and KPK Rs192.4 million.

Syed Murad Ali Shah said that the Sindh government has imposed a ban on purchase of new vehicles for which notification had been issued on June 24, 2020.

Speaking on the development of Karachi, he said that the city of Karachi had a Rs 26.8 billion ADP schemes. He added that apart from ADP, there were foreign funded projects which the provincial government had to pay back to the donor agencies.

They include Rs 202 billion projects, Red Line BRT, Yellow Line BRT, Karachi Urban mobility Project, water & sewerage Improvement plan, Karachi Neighborhood Improvement Project , Compatible Livable City of Karachi, Solid waste Emergency & Efficiency project, Urban Sewerage Rs 20 have been allocated, and in District ADP Karachi R s2.4 billion have been allocated for completion of on-going schemes.

He said that apart from ADP and foreign funded projects there were a number projects to be started in 2020-21. Malir Expressway would be started in 2020-21 at a cost of Rs 27.5 bn and hopefully, Rs10 billion would be spent during next financial year, he said and added there was a Rs 6.5 billion project of reconstruction of link road and over Rs 2 billion would be spent during 2020-21.

The CM said that there was a Karachi Urban Road project under which three projects, Korangi causeway, ICI junction Interchange, Hawks bay Y-junction. These three projects would cost around Rs 12 billion and hopefully over Rs 4 billion would be utilized in 2020-21.

He added that there was a Rs 25 billion Municipal waste water cycling project of Karachi water board on which Rs 5 billion would be utilized in 2020-21. Hub Canal rehabilitation project of Rs 7 billion and would utilize Rs1 billion in 2020-21.He said that S-III project would be launched in the city . Apart from them, there were five combined effluent treatment plants that would be started next financial year. Shah said that there were total Rs 80 billion against which Rs20 billion would be utilized in 2020-21.

Earlier, the session started with the recitation from the verses of Holy Quran and Naat Sharif with Speaker Agha Siraj Durrani in the chair.