Sindh Chief Minister (CM), Syed Murad Ali Shah has approved Rs 45 million for preparing feasibility of Karachi Circular Railways (KCR) and ordered removal of encroachment from route so that work could be started on the project through China Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) project.
CM Sindh Murad Ali Shah issued these directives while presiding over a meeting on KCR at New Secretariat here on Wednesday. The meeting was attended by Minister Transport Syed Nasir Shah, ACS (Dev) M. Waseem, Secretary Transport Taha Farooqi, Secretary Finance Hassan Naqvi, DS Railways Nisar Memon and others.
Briefing the CM, Minister Transport Nasir Shah said that the KCR project has total length of 43 kilometres of which 13.43 kilometres is on railways main line and 29.69 km on the KCR loop. He added that he had personally visited the entire KCR route on Tuesday and found encroachments along its route. DS Railways Karachi Nisar Memon briefing the CM on encroachment said that total land required for KCR project is 360 acres, of which 260 acres is of Pakistan Railways land and 100 is on main line. He further informed that the area under encroachment is 67 acres, including 47 acres on KCR loop and 20 acres on main line. He added that 4653 houses have been constructed on the encroached land and 2997 are other establishments. In said around 20 percent right of way of KCR is under encroachment. The project can only be implemented if encroachment is removed from its route.
Giving details of the encroachment on KCR Loop Section he said that at Wazir Mansion 29.28 acres of KCR are under encroachment, Wazir Mansion to Baldia 0.82 acres, near Orangi Nala 1.91 acres, Orangi to Nazimabad 1.44 acres, Nazimabad-Liaquatabad 2.36, Liaquatabad to Gilani 3.16 acres, Gilani to Urdu College 2.05, Urdu College to University 4.16 acres University to Depot Hill 0.91 acres.
The Chief Minister was also informed that the encroachment on KCR main line comes to 20.647 acres which include Tower to Karachi City 0.46 acres, Karachi City to Karachi Cantt 1.67 acres, Karachi Cantt to Chanesar halt 5.837 acres, Chanesar halt to Departure Yard 11.77 acres and Departure yard to Drigh Road 2.63 acres.
CM Syed Murad Ali Shah directed Commissioner Karachi Aijaz Khan to hold a meeting with all the deputy commissioners and work out a plan to remove encroachment from the KCR route and submit report with in seven days. He also directed Secretary Finance to release Rs 45 million for conducting feasibility of KCR. He said that the feasibility of KCR has to be submitted in JCC for taking it in CPEC projects. He directed ACS (Dev) M. Waseem to co-ordinate with federal government for issuing Sovereign guarantee.