From Zeeshan Mirza
KARACHI: Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah has approved the overhauling and reconstruction of 71 roads damaged by heavy rains/floods at Rs 46.3 billion so that works could start at the earliest.
“The overhauling of the damaged roads, particularly the small ones connecting farms to market, villages to the main roads are important for the easy access of the people for the revival of the economy.”
This he said while presiding over a meeting here at CM House on Friday. The meeting was attended by Minister Works Zia Abbas Shah, Chief Secretary Sohail Rajput, Chairman P&D Hassan Naqvi, PSCM Fayaz Jatoi, Secretary Works Imran Atta, and chief engineer roads.
The chief minister was told that 71 roads in 23 districts with an overall length of 1473.38 kilometers have been damaged by the heavy rains and floods.
They include six roads of 157.7 km in district Jamshoro, five roads of 149.27 km in Dadu, three of 106.6 km in Shaheed Benazirabad, nine of 137 km Naushehroferoze, two of 20.4 km in Hyderabad, six of 93.8 km in Tando Allahyar, one of 19 kilometers of TM Khan, four of 65 km in Thatta, two of 55.5 km in Sujawal.
One of 71 km in Badin, two of 80 km in Mirpurkhas, one of 20 km in Umrkot, three of 46 km in Sanghar, one of 35 km in Tharparkar, fine of 58 km in Sukkur, one of 9 km in Ghotki, two of 23 km in Khairpur, three of 67 km Shikarpur, three of 45.45 km in Jacobabad, three of 52.29 km Kashmore-Kandhkot, five of 92.65 km Larkana, and three of 67.2 km in Kamber-Shahdadkot.
Minister Works Zia Abbas Shah told the chief minister that the estimated cost of the roads has been worked out at Rs 46.32 billion.
The chief minister approved the scheme and directed the chairman P&D Hassan Naqvi to finalize the formalities and get the work started at the earliest.
It was also pointed out that the Asian Development Bank 9ADB) has also agreed to finance the repair of some major roads of the province for which necessary documentation was being completed.