CM Sindh orders Kandhkot-Ghotki bridge on Indus
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KARACHI: (APP) Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah has decided to construct a bridge on River Indus to connect Kandhkot with Ghotki.
The project would be launched on Public Private Partnership (PPP) mode but it should be started from November, an official of CM House said.
The CM issued these directives while presiding over a meeting on road sector at New Sindh Secretariat here on Monday.
The meeting was attended by P&D Minister Mir Hazar Khan Bijarani, Minister for Works & Services Imdad Pitafi, Chief Secretary Siddique Memon, ACS (Development) Mohammad Waseem, Chief Engineer Highways Prem Talreja and others.
The chief minister said that there was huge traffic pressures, particularly of heavy goods transport at Kandhkot to and from the Punjab. Therefore, there is dire need to construct a bridge on River Indus to connect Kandhkot with Ghotki.
On this the chief engineer highways Prem Talrija said that the proposed bridge has been designed to construct on PPP mode for Rs seven billion. Working on that mode was in progress. The work on the bridge would be started as soon as the investment is offered.
The chief minister said that necessary progress may be made on PPP mode but by the time work on the project must be stared. "I want to open it by the end of November," the chief minister issued the directives.
The proposed bridge would be two kilometer long connecting Kandhkot with Ghotki. There would a 10 kilometer approaching road from Ghotki and 13 kilometer from Kandhkot.
Minister for P&D Mir Hazar Khan Bijarani proposed that simply construction of bridge on river Indus would further increase traffic pressure on Kandhkot, therefore a bye-pass on Kandhkot Thul Road may be constructed to connect it with Indus Highway.
The chief minister directed the P&D Department to include the proposal of the bye-pass in the project and start work on it.
Talrija briefing the chief minister on Nawabshah-Ranipur stretching over 134.5 kilometer has been left incomplete. This road can be divided into two portion, Nawabshah to Padeddan, 67.5 km and Padeddan to Ranipur 67 km.
He said that in order to complete residual work a separate PC-I amounting to Rs. 179 million was being prepared.
The chief minister directed the Works & Service Department to approve the PC-I as soon as possible and then "I would provide funds but I want to see this road completed by end of this financial year," he said.
The chief engineer said that the second portion of the project, Padeddan to Ranipur can also be completed shortly if the required funds are released. The chief minister directed P&D department to work out the expenditures on the schemes and give him report for arranging the funds.
The chief minister also directed the Works & Services Department to repair Link Road between National Highway and Super Highway, Karachi. The bridge also needs major repair work. This must be started on war footings because it carries the heavy industrial traffic of Steel mills and port Qasim Industrial areas.
