‘Nawabshah-Sanghar road project to be completed in two years’

Karachi

Aijaz Ali Khan, the additional chief secretary (development) has said that with the Chinese investment of Rs1780.535 million, which accounts for 85 percent of the total cost, the Nawabshah-Sanghar road project would be completed within two years.

In a Work and Services Department`s meeting presided over by the Sindh Chief Minister Qaim Ali Shah on Thursday to review foreign-funded development projects in the province, Khan said the provincial government was also putting its share of  Rs 1,256.9 million in the project. 

He said the 60-kilometres road project would be completed within two years and within next few days the works and services department will go for competitive bidding. 

Speaking on the occasion, the chief minister said no-tolerance approach would be adopted by the government in case of any financial misdealing and inefficiency in execution of the project. “The works and services department should ensure quality work in construction of the road network and buildings,” he said. 

  The chief minister directed Khan to send his team to inspect the road projects and give him a detailed report on the status of the work. 

Secretary  Aijaz Memon informed the participants of the meeting that the Sindh Road Improvement Project was being launched for $197.8 million with the financial assistance of Asian Development Bank (ADB), which would be bearing 87 percent of the expenditures.

He said that under the project 328-kilometre-long roads would be constructed, including 67 km Tando-Mohamamd Khan - Badin Road, 55 km Digri-Naukot, 64 km Khyber-Sanghar via Tando Mohammad Khan, 63 km Sanghar-Mirpurkhas via Sindhi road, 36 km Sheranpur-Ratodero road and 44 km Thul-Kandhkot road. 

"Expression of Interest has been floated for project management consultant on December 12, 2015," Memon said.

The secretary also said that the Japanese Assisted Rural Roads (JAICA) would be costing Rs 8,875.19 million, in which the Sindh government will chip in Rs 650.88 million. Under the project, 28.79 km will be constructed in Thatta district, 39.996 km in Dadu/Jamshoro, 17.280 km in Hyderabad, 73.212 km in Larkana/Shahdadkot, 71.596 km in Shikarpur, 183.9 km in Khairpur, 103.155 km in Jacobabad/Kandhkot AND 10.57 Km road in Sukkur districts have been completed.

The meeting was also attended by the principal secretary to CM, Alamuddin Bullo, special secretary finance, Hassan Naqvi, engineers of works & services department and other concerned staff.