Communication MInistry's iniititives under PM's 100 days agenda pay dividends: Murad Saeed      

ISLAMABAD: Minister of State for Communication Murad Saeed said on Tuesday that several initiatives taken by Ministry of Communications as part of Prime Minister’s 100 days agenda have started paying the dividends.

Addressing a press conference here, the minister said that following the vision of Prime Minister National Highway Authority has registered over 20 per cent increase in its revenue since PTI government came to power through improved governance and innovative initiatives.

He said overall NHA successfully generated Rs 3.08 billion during fist hundred day of the government.

He said that the NHA’s anti-encroachment drive was continuing successfully and over 354 kanal land worth 1596 million has been cleared from encroachments.

He said that the encroachment removal activity was carried out on 2274 location all over the country.

He said under the vision of the prime minister, austerity drive has been launched in the ministry, and Rs 35 million have been saved in fuel and entertainment sectors.

Murad Saeed said that NHA earned Rs 200 million from auction of 202 vehicles under the directive of the PM.

Murad Saeed announced that NHA has decided to establish a rest area for general public on its building on the bank of Rivier Kunar in Naran. This rest area was in the past used by NHA officers but now it will be open for general public.

He said that for ensuring transparency ,a mobile app of the NHA was launched recently for public access to all relevant record and details of projects. Moreover, e-tendering and e-billing process has been initiated to ensure transparency in the department.

Minister of State for Communications Murad Saeed he had written a letter to the Auditor General of Pakistan (AGP), asking him to conduct special audit of five NHA projects.

The projects include Lyari Expressway, Khuzdar-Shahdadkot Highway (M-8), Gwadar-Turbat-Hoshab Highway (M-8), Lowari Tunnel (N-45) Civil Works, and Kalat-Quetta-Chaman Highway (N-25). Murad said that pursuant to the government policy NHA during past 100 days identified five projects worth Rs 35o billion to be implemented through public private partnership. These projects include Hyderabad-Sukkur Motorway, Karachi Northern Bypass, Sialkot-Kharian Motorway , Khrian Rawalpindi Mootrway and Chakdara-Mingora section of Swat Motorway.

Moreover, he said that under clean and green Pakistan initiative of Prime Minster Imran Khan, NHA launched a campaign of plantation and 187,000 plants were planted in 100 days.

NHA, he said has also launched drive for cleanliness of the highways and motorways and so far 4211 km length has been cleaned.

He said that improvement and uplifting of toll plazas is also being done under clean and green Pakistan initiative.

The minister said that NHA has launched procurement process of Geographic Information Systems which would become powerful tool to efficiently manage and integrate information for planning, design, construction, analysis, operations and maintenance, asset management and revenue maximization.

He said that Motorway Police has launched first ever National Road Safety Policy to control accidents on the highways and motorways.

Moreover it has arranged seminars, workshops and walks to create road safety awareness.

He said that Motorway Police would launch a Smartphone application named Humsafar for benefit of the road users.