Sindh government has approved 78 schemes for laying more than 1000 kilometer roads in Thar area at a cost of Rs 7177.75 million. This constitutes one portion of the Prime Minister's Thar Package, it was learnt on Saturday.
At a meeting held under the chairmanship of Sindh Chief Minister Dr Ghulam Arbab Rahim, PM's Thar package was discussed and a number of decisions were taken to speed up the promised development projects in Thar.
Priority has been given to building road infrastructure in the Thar Desert to facilitate communication between different cities and Thar. Out of these 78 schemes, 56 will be short term measuring 364.50 km for which an amount of Rs 2503.75 million has been allocated. Mid term schemes will be 16 in number and cover 175 km road at a cost of Rs 1260.30 million. Six short-term schemes will cover 461 km at a cost of Rs 3413.7 million.
At the same time Islamkot-Sara Halapota road would be completed by December 2004 and would be opened for public in January 2005. After the completion of this road presidents of China and Pakistan are expected to do formal ground breaking of Thar Coal Project.
The PM Thar Package has provisions for educational facilities including cadet college, expansion in health care facilities, up-gradation of hospitals, setting up of nursing schools, ambulance service, meat processing and packaging plants, banks and other financial institutions that could give small loans, construction of small dams, water storage facilities and water purification and desalination plants and power generation units etc.