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Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah chaired the 11th meeting of the PCIC which was attended by Corp Commander Lt Gen Babar Iftikhar, Chief Secretary Sohail Rajput, Karachi Mayor Murtaza Wahab, provincial ministers and advisers and senior government officials.
The chief minister was told that the KUTC would undertake the KCR project, but the company was still under the control of the federal government.
Project will be undertaken by Chinese authorities following an agreement, PCIC told
The chief minister directed the divisional superintendent of PR, who was present in the meeting, to resolve the issue and give the go-ahead to the provincial authorities so that it could be communicated to the Chinese authorities to initiate the KCR project.
The planning and development chairman told the meeting that the feasibility study had already been done and sent to Chinese authorities. The chief minister said that now the Chinese authorities had to make a framework agreement to start the project.
Malir Expressway
The meeting also discussed issues pertaining to the Malir Expressway project.
It was informed that the 38.75-km high-speed controlled access road from Jam Sadiq Bridge to the Kathore interchange near M-9, would have six interchanges.
The project is divided into two segments of 15 kilometres and 24 kilometres, respectively, with a construction time of 30 months. The first section from Jam Sadiq Bridge to Quaidabad is to be constructed within 18 months i.e. by the end of the current year.
The meeting was informed that 138.2 acres would be acquired in the second segment with a tentative land acquisition cost of Rs3.7 billion.
The chief minister directed the authorities not to disturb the people living in the villages but construct a two-km elevated structure on the left side of the villages on the existing alignment — at the outer periphery of the right bank of Malir River — bypassing Samo, Lasi, and Old Shafi Goths to avoid land acquisition and relocation. “The provincial govt would pay for the construction of the bridge,” he said.
Link Road
The CM was informed that the Link Road that connects National Highway N5 to Motorway M-9, was a 22-km-long, four-lane, dual carriageway project.
The commercial corridor would provide upcountry access to Port Qasim, industrial areas of Landhi, Korangi, and Steel Mills. There is a grade intersection at N5 and grade separated interchange at M-9. The construction of the M-9 interchange would cost around Rs2bn.
The meeting also discussed Bus Rapid Transit Yellow and Red lines.
Transport Minister Sharjeel Memon told the meeting that both the projects were launched with the assistance of the World Bank and Asian Development Bank, respectively.