Sindh govt and ADB review progress across key sectors

KARACHI: The Sindh government’s planning and development department, in collaboration with the Asian Development Bank (ADB) and international partners, is advancing significant infrastructure and service enhancements aimed at sustainable growth in the province.

In a high-level meeting on Friday, Chairman of the Planning & Development Board Najam Shah met with representatives from the ADB to review milestones and the status of ongoing projects in sectors such as transportation, education, flood recovery and housing. Shah assured that the allocated funds are being used effectively, with projects progressing as planned to meet targeted completion dates.

The ADB has been a key supporter of various projects in Sindh. Together with DFID, the bank has provided $184.13 million to improve the province’s education sector, including $8.5 million dedicated to establishing regional blood centres, furthering public-private partnerships in healthcare.

The Karachi BRT Red Line project is another flagship initiative. The 26.6-km bio-methane-fuelled Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) Red Line, is co-financed by the ADB, the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB), and the Green Climate Fund. This project, aimed at enhancing urban mobility for approximately 1.5 million Karachi residents, currently reports an 18.37 per cent completion rate for Lot I.

In the education sector, the Sindh Secondary Education Improvement Project (SSEIP) is investing $82.5 million to bolster secondary education across 10 districts.