Road from Quaidabad to PSM: repair work must be carried out on war footing: Murad

Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah on Saturday directed Works & Services Department to start repair of the road from Quaidabad to Steel Mills on war footing because the people passing through the road are facing serious hardships. "This must be done on war footing because of my commitment with the people of my city", the chief minister said while presiding over a meeting on Works & Service Department at CM House.
The meeting was attended by Minister Works & Services Imdad Pitafi, Principal Secretary Naveed Kamran Baloch, Secretary W&S Aijaz Memon, Secretary Finance Hassan Naqvi and senior officers of P&D. The chief minister was given briefing on the construction of roads. He was informed that it would take two months to start work on the road from Quaidabad to Steel Mills. On this, he expressed his displeasure and directed the W&S department to repair it on war footings.
"The survey of most dilapidated portions be started within few days to start repair work until the original work is launched," he said and added that, "The industrialists, general public and goods transporters are face hardship on this portion, therefore repair must be done till the start of work."
The chief minister was told that the construction of the road from Quaidabad to Steel Mills would cost Rs 2.4 billion. The chief minister approved the project and directed them to repair or replace the water supply pipes before taking the project in the hand.
Briefing the chief minister on rehabilitation of bridge over Malir River, the Minister for Works & Services said that, "Report received from consultant says that it would cost around Rs 140 million in which complete rehabilitation of existing bridge and protection works along the Malir River would be done". The chief minister approved the scheme and directed them to start work on priority basis.
The chief minister was informed that Link Road project which connects Super Highway with National Highway is over 20km long. It would be constructed on Public Private Partnership (PPP) basis. On this, the chief minister directed the department to finalize all the requirements, including consultancy and other paper work before floating it on PPP mode.
The meeting was informed that the road from Sehwan to Dadu (old alignment) stretching over 33 kilometers needs to be improved. It may be made as carriageway by widening it to 24 feet with shoulders and asphalt concrete surfacing. It would cost around Rs 2 billion. The chief minister approving the project directed the works department to meet its expenditures from the saving made from different completed projects.
The chief minister was informed that the rehabilitation of road from Naushehroferoze to Mehran Highway vial Phull and Darya Khan Marri-Kot Lalu of 31 kilometers to be made at Rs 1.3 billion. He was told that the road presently is 18 feet wide over an area of 20 kilometers and remaining 11 km which is in dilapidated condition is only 12 feet wide.
It needs immediate rehabilitation. The existing alignment crosses Rohri and Nusrat Canals over narrow irrigation regulators, therefore new bridges would be constructed along with approaches. The chief minister said that his priority was to complete the on-going schemes first, since it is most important therefore it must be taken up.
The chief minister was told that Sindh Provincial Road Improvement Project being started at a cost of 22750 million with the assistance of Asian Development Bank (ADB) which would bear 87 percent of the cost of Rs 20670.1 million while Sindh would pay 13 percent cost which comes to Rs 2079.9 million. On this, the chief minister asked them when the work would start.
"The agreement was signed in August 2016 and why it has not been launched so far," he asked. On this, the secretary W&S Aijaz Memon said that the project would be started by the end of November 2016. Under the project 67km road from Tando M Khan to Badin, 55km road from Digri to Naukot, 64km road from Khyber to Sanghar via Tando Adam, 63km from Sanghar to Mirpur Khas via Sindhri, 36km road from Sheranpur to Ratodero and 44km road from Thul to Kandhkot would be constructed.