The federal government has refused to give any timeframe for the completion of much-delayed Lyari Expressway (LEW) project citing financial constrains. This important project was to be completed in 2007. Addressing a press conference at National Highway Authority (NHA) Complex, on Thursday, Communication Minister Dr Arbab Alamgir Khan Khalil said that the work on the project had unfortunately been stopped due to the funding issue.
He, however, said the ministry has already given Rs 4 billion to City District Government Karachi (CDGK) for the rehabilitation of the affected families. The ministry would provide another Rs 4 billion to CDGK for the resettlement of remaining over 7500 families and completion of at least five kilometers of the expressway.
Being a national project, LEW should not be taken only in the Karachi's context, he said. The federal government following the directives of President Asif Ali Zardari would provide 100 percent funding for the project, he added. To a question, the minister said that investigation in the case of Northern-Bypass incident has been carried out with blacklisting of the contractor and notices to four staff members of the authority involved in the matter.
He said the consultants found guilty of delaying and using substandard material in the collapsed Sher Shah Bridge will be severely dealt with and their licences will be cancelled and a formal letter has already been sent to Pakistan Engineering Council in this regard.
He said Karachi-Hyderabad Super Highway is in a very bad shape and work on its rehabilitation is going on at a cost of Rs 200 million however, with the completion of 80 percent work, it has been opened to traffic. He said that construction of Karachi-Hyderabad Motorway project will cost Rs 10 billion and it will be completed in 3 years. It will also have a service road, he added.
He said the development work is being carried out on different roads and highways linking Larkana to Khairpur and Larkana to Naudero, etc in Sindh. He said that work on M-1, M-2 and M-3 has been completed while Larkana to Khairpur N-5 and N-55 Bridge will be opened to traffic by the end of October.
He said that work on road project from Gwadar to Jumni and Jumni to Iranian border town of Gubud is in the final stages and will be inaugurated by the President or the Prime Minister in 2 months. Another important project, the minister said, is the construction of Karakoram Highway where almost 2200 Chinese were working on Raikot-Khunjrab Section. This project will also be completed soon and encourage tourism in the region besides facilitating the ongoing development of Diamer-Bhasha Dam.
Arbab Alamgir said the Lowari Tunnel, where the construction works has also been suspended due to the law and order situation, would also be restarted next month. On the occasion, Communication Secretary Sharif Ahmed Khan briefed media about the ongoing development projects in Sindh and observed that the media acts as a bridge between the government and people.