KARACHI: The utilization of funds by Sindh government for projects in Karachi remained zero during the first quarter of the current financial year. The provincial government had allocated Rs1.94 billion in the budget for the projects for the provincial capital. Although the allocated amount in the budget was meager in view of the size of the population of the city, yet the pace of utilization of funds is also not up to the mark.
The budget execution report of Sindh government for the quarter from July to September for this year indicated that the provincial government had released Rs574 million for the projects of the city, which was thirty percent of the total of Rs1.94 billion allocated for the whole fiscal.
However, the amount released during the period was not utilized at all as not a single penny was spent on any project of the city, which is confronting major civic and infrastructure problems.
The entire allocation of Rs1.94bn has been made for 18 ongoing development schemes -- the projects which had been approved in the previous budgets -- and one new scheme for which a paltry sum of Rs9 million has been allocated. The new "mega-scheme for Karachi" relates to providing and fixing of traffic lights, gantries and signboards and carrying out of the rehabilitation/beautification of roads.
The ongoing schemes include construction of a u-turn at the Natha Khan Bridge, construction of an underpass at the Submarine Chowrangi, rehabilitation and improvement of Karachi Zoo, construction of a road from Tank Chowrangi to the Super Highway, construction of a flyover at the Tipu Sultan intersection, etc.
Besides, it includes the widening and reconstruction of the Stadium Road, rehabilitation and improvement of roads in surrounding areas of Lea Market, widening of the bridge over Orangi Nullah near the Habib Bank Chowrangi, construction of an SWD from the Star Gate to Chakora Nullah on Shahrah-e-Faisal and reconstruction and rehabilitation of road from the Jam Sadiq Bridge to Dawood Chowrangi.
Copyright Business Recorder, 2020