Karachi-Thatta dual carriageway could materialise within a year

Karachi
The Sindh government and Frontier Works Organisation (FWO) have signed a concession agreement for constructing a Karachi to Thatta dual carriageway, which would cost around Rs 9.9 billion, under the public private partnership (PPP) mode of investment.
This 49-kilometre-long motorway will be constructed from Ghaggar Phattak to Thatta bypass in a year’s time. The total cost includes Rs7.499 billion as construction cost and Rs2.460 billion as the project development cost.
As per the financial structure, 70 percent of the project cost, amounting to Rs6.971 billion, would be arranged through commercial loans, while the remaining Rs2.987 billion will be contributed through equity by both partners.
Of this, 53.3 percent – Rs1.593 billion – would be contributed by the FWO, whereas the remaining 46.7 percent – Rs1.394 billion – would be borne by the provincial government.
Chief Engineer (Works & Services) Syed Pervaiz Ali Shah and the FWO director (Plans) Brigadier Sultan signed the agreement on behalf of their respective organisations.
Addressing the ceremony, Chief Minister Qaim Ali Shah said that Karachi-Thatta dual carriageway was the most important project, which was to be linked with Thatta to Mithi road onwards to Islamkot and Thar coalfield areas, covering over total road length of 296 kilometres.
He said that this road would be known in future as the road towards prosperity.
“It was also important that the Sindh government had signed the agreement with the FWO which is a technically sound organisation.” Qaim stressed that by virtue of engaging FWO as the partner, the road project could be completed in one-and-half years or before’ adding, “The carriageway would open new avenues of income, employment, trade and investment opportunities in the area through creation of infrastructure for social development.”
Sindh Minister for Finance Murad Ali Shah while said that the public-private partnership project being initiated under the innovative ideas of Pakistan People’s Party’s leadership was not only limited to the infrastructure projects but it included projects in other sectors also, including energy, health and education.
The Sindh government was also planning other mega development project for the infrastructure development, the minister informed the gathering.
FWO Director General Afzal Khan said that presently, the FWO was executing many mega infrastructure development projects including maintenance of Lahore-Islamabad motorway.
He said that M-9 section motorway from Karachi to Hyderabad will be started within a month’s time and would be completed before the stipulated period, similarly Karachi-Thatta dual road would also be completed in a year after starting the work on the ground.
The FWO DG said that his organisation would design, finance, build, operate and transfer the project and it would also maintain the dual carriageway through duration of concession period of 25 years.