Road projects under SPRIP: Sindh govt lauded for early, successful completion

KARACHI: Advisor to Chief Minister Sindh on Works & Services Nisar Ahmed Khuhro has highlighted and appreciated the efforts of Sindh government for early and successful completion of road projects under SPRIP to achieve more than the desired results of the set target.

This he observed while addressing at the orientation held for the Sindh Provincial Road Improvement Project (SPRIP) in collaboration with the Asian Development Bank, at a local hotel on Wednesday.

Advisor to CM on Works and Services Nisar Ahmed Khuhro said the elected government challenged projects like Thar coal, road improvement network, institutional strengthening of the department/ project staff and the preparation of the Sindh Road Network Master Plan (2020-40) etc.

He lauded the efforts of the PMU team for making additional work on the project to save and even refund Rs 6.4 billion loan out of Rs 23 billion project cost.

He said total nine schemes of Road Sector Improvement were planned successfully with the team work under the abilities and guidance of the respective heads of the department and the project.

The Advisor to CM urged to digitalize and prepare comprehensive data of all damaged and broken road network during the past rain and floods so that repair work could be initiated with low cost immediately.

Nisar Khuhro has also appreciated the extensive briefing and explanation of the ADB and ECIL for 25% additional work on the project, and lauded support of many donor agencies for developing Sindh province in befitting manner.

He also underlined the need of capacity building and institutional strengthening and training of the officials under this project, - Sindh Road Network. Besides, institutional strengthening under Phase-I Sindh Road Network Master Plan (2020-40) has to be prepared after carrying out road condition survey of 53,000km in Sindh and incorporation into Road Assets Management System (RAMS) will be completed by December 2020. The training programme has been started with 1,800 personnel of WSD. Earlier, Secretary Works & Services Imran Atta Soomro said that within short time period, the project has achieved more than the required results. He also appreciated the coordinated efforts, cooperation and assistance of ADB, ECIL, Ram Boll and the PMU PD Mushtaq Memon and his team for achieving the milestone of the project.

Representatives of ADB Khurram Imtiaz Butt has briefed the salient features of the project assisted by the bank in support the SPRIP, and appreciated the excellent PMU team work.—PR

Copyright Business Recorder, 2020