Rs6.4bn spent on Lowari Tunnel project so far: Minister

PESHAWAR: Federal Minister for Communications Dr. Arbab Alamgir Khan Khalil on Friday informed that Rs.6.4 billion has so far been spent on Lowari Tunnel project out of total cost of Rs.18 billion, saying that the construction work on the project would be resumed very shortly.

He further said that the NHA authority had received Rs.2 billion released by Ministry of Finance on the directives of Prime Minister Syed Yousuf Raza Gilani. In this connection a meeting held on Friday to review the space of Lowari Tunnel project in his chair.

Those, who attended the meeting, were included Chairman NHA Syed Muhammad Ali Gardezi, Member Infrastructures Planning Commission General (Retd) Shahid Niaz, Additional Secretary Ministry of Communications Amjad Nazeer, Joint Secretary Mathar Niaz Rana, Member Construction NHA Yousaf Ali Khan and GM Lowari Road Tunnel Project Col (Retd) Salman Rasheed and other high officials.

Federal Minister informed that the construction work had delayed for quite some time because of last year's flash floods in the country and shortage of funds, while the project PC-I has also revised after changing of design from Rail Tunnel to Road tunnel.  The meeting said that the Lowari Road Tunnel comprises on two tunnels including 8.5 kilometers and 2 kilometers respectively. The meeting further informed that the construction Work on this project was carried by GEO Consultants in collaboration with SAMBU of Korea.

Dr. Arbab Alamgir said that the project has countrywide significance, which was longstanding demand of the people of Chitral, adding that it will open new vistas of development and enable to establish durable road links with Afghanistan and Central Asian States.