KARACHI: Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah and Federal Minister of Communication Aleem Khan, during their meeting at CM House, agreed to build a M6 Motorway not from Hyderabad to Sukkur but from Karachi to Sukkur via Hyderabad.

They agreed to explore the possibility of constructing the motorway through a public-private partnership (PPP) or a consortium to be formed by the provincial and federal governments. The CM said that his team would study the options and ways to make this happen.

This emerged in a meeting held between the two at CM House on Thursday. The meeting was attended by Chief Secretary Asif Hyder Shah, Secretary to CM Raheem Shaikh, Federal Secretary Works Mohammad Ali Shaikh, and Federal Communication Secretary Ali Sher Mehsud, Chairman NHA Shaharyar Sultan, Director Hassan Shah, Member NHA Sindh Zone Parkash Lehano and Member West Zone Basharat.

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Sukkur-Hyderabad Motor-way: The project envisaged the construction of a 306-kilometre long, six-lane wide, access-controlled Hyderabad-Sukkur Motor-way. The motorway is proposed as a high-speed toll road facility for efficient and safe transportation, which will start from Hyderabad and terminate at Naro Canal.

It was pointed out that the PPP agreement for the construction of the Motorway (M6) project was signed with a private consortium in December 2022 but due to some reason the work could not be started and the partnership was cancelled.

The federal minister proposed to the CM that the M6 may be started from Karachi via Hyderabad to Sukkur instead of being initiated from Hyderabad to Sukkur to facilitate the port traffic also. The CM agreed to the proposal and discussed the modality of its construction.

During the discussion, it was agreed that the M6 would be constructed from Karachi to Hyderabad and Sukkur in public-private partnership mode. Finally, another proposal was discussed under which the federal and provincial governments may form a consortium to construct the road on equal partnership. At this, the CM said that his team would study the proposal and get back to the ministry.

Lyari Expressway: The chief minister urged the federal Communication minister to approve handing over of the Lyari Expressway so that it could be opened for heavy traffic. Shah said that the Sindh government would upgrade the Lyari Expressway within six months and then open it for heavy traffic also.

The federal minister told the CM that the Sindh chief secretary and the federal Communication minister would hold a meeting and discuss the ways and means to hand over the expressway to Sindh government.

Link Road: The chief minister and the federal minister also discussed the NOC issue of Link Road interchange pending in the NHA.

The minister said that before his meeting with the CM he had issued the NOC by the NHA.

Gharo to Keti Bundar: In the meeting, the chief minister pointed out that the work on the road from Gharo to Keti Bundar, 90 km, was started in 2015 and 15 years have passed but it has not been completed yet.

The CM was told that out of 90 km of road 59 km have been completed upto the Gharo at Baghan City. The remaining 31 km of road from Baghan to Keti Bandar was yet to be completed. At this, the Secretary communication told the. CM that the tender for the reaming road has been initiated and shortly would be started

Thatta to Keejhar: It meets the condition of the road from Thatta to Keenjhar constructed by the NHA recently came under discussion. Secretary Works Mohammad Ali Khosa told the meeting that the road has developed craters at different locations due to recent heavy rains.

The chairman of NHA told the CM that he had ordered an inquiry.

The CM proposed to the federal minister to hand over the road from Thatta to Kotri to the provincial government, which would construct it on its own. At this, the federal minister said that the roads which the provincial government was willing to construct would be allowed. Chief Secretary Asif Hyder Shah and the federal Communication Secretary would discuss the mater and decide as per the policy.

Ghotki-Kandhot Bridge: The CM said that work on the Ghotki-Kandhkot bridge project was in progress and the NHA has to issue an NOC for the construction of the Thul Link Road. At this, the minister for Communication said the NHA has issued the NOC.

Jamshoro-Sehwan Road: When the CM raised the issue of the pending completion of Jamshoro-Sehwan Road, the federal minister assured the CM that it would be completed by March 2025.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2024