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PPP ~ Development projects and modernisation of Sindh

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Justice Sarmad Jalal Osmani, a judge of the Supreme Court of Pakistan. PHOTO: INP

Milestones: First Pakistani law university to offer PhD

KARACHI: Shaheed Zulfikar Ali Bhutto University of Law (Szabul) welcomed its first batch of candidates for the Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) programme on Saturday.

Justice Sarmad Jalal Osmani, a judge of the Supreme Court of Pakistan, visited Szabul’s Clifton campus on the occasion. Addressing the faculty, students and dignitaries, he said that the cause of education has suffered a lot in Pakistan.

“I used to teach in the past,” he said. “After retirement, I am thinking of going back to teaching and would love to teach here [at Szabul].”

Justice (retd) Dr Qazi Khalid, the vice-chancellor of the university, said that Szabul is Pakistan’s first law university that is recognised by Pakistan’s Bar Council and the Higher Education Commission.

“This year, the university is welcoming 34 candidates for Phd in law,” he said. “The classes will commence on July 22.”

Khadim Hussain Soomro is among the 34 candidates who will be part of the PhD programme. He hopes to conduct his research at Szabul.

“When it comes to law education, we lack good institutions and there is a shortage of good graduates who can produce quality research,” he said. “Our laws were written in the 1800s. We need to replace them with contemporary laws.”

The university is offering a combined five-year programme for Bachelor’s of Arts and Bachelor’s of Law and a combined three-year programme for Master’s of Law and PhD.

The visiting faculty include Dr Farogh Nasim and the former chief justice of Pakistan, Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry.
 
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Sindh Budget 2015-16: Province sets aside Rs16.5 billion for energy projects

KARACHI: The Sindh government will spend Rs16.5 billion over the next year on energy-related schemes, most of it going to build infrastructure in Tharparkar district where coal mines and power plants are being established.

The Annual Development Plan (ADP) of the energy department also shows a block allocation of Rs5 billion for energy initiatives but doesn’t provide project details.

However, Sindh Finance Minister Murad Ali Shah, while presenting the budget on Saturday, indicated that this money would also be spent on five 20-megawatt solar power projects, which would be set up in Thatta, Benazirabad, Sukkur, Jamshoro and Larkana districts.

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As per the ADP, four new schemes with a total outlay of Rs3.81 billion have been launched to facilitate the development of coal-based power plants in Thar. These include reconstruction of damaged roads between Sujawal and Badin among other similar schemes.

However, the government will spend only Rs956 million on these projects during fiscal year 2015-16. The rest of the cost will be met from future budgets.

A major chunk of around Rs8.83 billion from the energy department’s development budget will go for completing work on ongoing infrastructure programmes meant to facilitate the Thar coal initiative.
 
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Karachi Mass Transit update; 5 bus transit and 2 metro rail transit systems

Sindh budget for the year 2015-16 presented on Thursday promised revival of the Karachi Circular Railway (KCR) besides five bus transit, two metro rail transit for the mega city.

Sindh Finance Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah in his budget speech said the Karachi Mass Transit Project with the circular railway, five bus rapid transit and two metro rail transit have been planned to fulfil the transportation needs of Karachi.

He said the government of Sindh would start five BRT projects in the next FY 2015-16.

Yellow Line which will pass through Orangi Industrial Area and terminates at Saddar (Regal)

Orange Line Project connects District West to BRT Green Line at Board Office Chowrangi

Red Line Project will operate in the thickly populated area of Gulshan-e-Iqbal

Green Line Project passes through the heart of the city, starts at MunicipalPark (AurangzebPark) and culminates at KESC Powerhouse


Blue Line Project starts at BahriaTown and it has two terminating points. One ends at the airport and the other at MW Tower

The BRT Yellow Line project is under implementation in PPP Mode with an estimated cost of Rs 13 billion. Its route is 26 km long, and will facilitate 150,000 commuters per day.

The concession agreement of the project will be signed in this month and financial close is expected to be achieved in three months. “We will start physical work on this project by October 2016. The estimated completion time is 18 months,” the minister said.

The BRT Orange line project is being implemented under ADP at a cost of Rs 2.364 billion. It is 4.7 km long and will facilitate 50,000 daily commuters. “We have kept the entire allocation for the project in next year’s ADP. It is expected to commence in August 2016. The BRT Green Line Project will cost Rs. 16 billion and will be funded by the federal government. It is a 21 km long corridor and will facilitate over 400,000 daily commuters. The project execution is expected from July 2015,” he added.

The federal government has promised to complete this project in one year; however, the entire allocation has not been kept in the federal PSDP of 2015-16. “We are following this up with the federal government. The BRT Red Line Project will be implemented through ADP at an estimated cost of Rs 15 billion.”

This project is expected to be funded through 85 per cent loan from China and 15 per cent contribution of the government of Sindh for which Rs 2 billion have been allocated in FY 2015-16. This corridor is 22 km long and will facilitate 350,000 commuters each day. “We hope to start the project in the next FY and commission it in the year 2017.

The Blue Line project will be implemented under PPP mode as BRT, but will be convertible to MRT. Its corridor is 54 kms long and will facilitate 357,000 per day. It is expected to be executed from December 2015 to May 2017. An amount of Rs 10 billion is allocated under VGF funding for this Project. In addition to above, 36 green buses have been made road worthy and are now plying on city routes. Additionally, modern bus terminals have also been planned for Karachi city,” he explained.

The government of Sindh is also fully committed for the Revival of Karachi Circular Railways project with the assistance of JICA. The KCR will have a dual track of 43.3 km with 24 stations at an average distance of 1.5 km. The estimated cost of the project is US $ 2.6 billion. JICA appraisal mission is expected during FY 2015-16 for negotiations/signing of loan agreement. “We are also talking to the Chinese to assist us in this project in case the JICA funding does not go through.

The Brown Line MRT from Nagan Chowrangi to Landhi is also under active consideration and we are talking to Chinese to provide funding for this project.”

The Karachi Sewerage Project S-III is a mega project for treated sewerage disposal for Karachi having a cost of Rs 7.982 billion out of which the federal government has to contribute Rs 3.991 billion. The project is conceived to enhance the capacity of sewerage treatment of 500 MGD. The total sewerage generated in the city is 465 MGD. Rupees 1 billion has been allocated in the ADP 2015-16. This project will have immense environmental and health related benefits, in keeping with our vision of a clean, green Sindh.

The Greater Karachi Bulk Water Supply Scheme K-IV has been envisioned at a cost of Rs 25.522 billion with 50 per cent share of government of Sindh to address the water shortage issues of Karachi. Presently, Karachi is drawing 1200 cusecs (650MGD) approved quota of water from Indus, which is insufficient for the ever-increasing water demand of 23 million people of Karachi. The K-IV project is planned for provision of additional 1200 cusecs (650 MGD) in three phases. The government of Sindh has allocated 485 cusecs (260 MGD) of additional water quota for the first phase of K-IV project, which will be completed by 2018. Rupees Rs 2.5 billion have been earmarked for this project for the next FY. It is expected that the federal government will match this allocation.

In addition to above a major initiative for waste management in Karachi is being undertaken by the Sindh Waste Management Board.

Shaheed Benazir Bhutto Accident Emergency & Ancillary Services Complex will be set up at Civil Hospital Karachi having a cost of Rs 6.3 billion. This facility will be completed by December 2015. Construction of 400 Bedded Hospital at NIPA Chowrangi Gulshan-e-Iqbal Karachi has a cost of Rs 1.73 billion.


Other projects include


- Establishment of Children Hospital at SIUT Karachi with a cost Rs 577 million

- Establishment of Shaheed Benazir Bhutto Medical Complex at National Highway near Razzaqabad

- Extension of the services of SIUT at Karachi at the cost of Rs 1.5 billion

- Conversion of selected existing schools into model schools (primary, secondary and higher secondary of CDGK)

- Establishment of Shaheed Zulfikar Ali Bhutto University of Law at Karachi with a cost of Rs 1.2 billion

- Strengthening/Upgradation of Jinnah Sindh Medical University Karachi at the cost of Rs 1 billion

- Establishment of Medical College at Karachi with Rs 1 billion

- Construction of three Lane Flyover at Malir 15 at Shahrah-e-Faisal Karachi

- Construction of Shaheed Benazir Bhutto Flyover at Shaheen Complex

- Up-gradation of Dhabeji Pumping Station

- 65 MGD additional water supply from Haleji to Pipri having cost of Rs 6.2 billion

- Widening/improvement of main hawks bay road, Karachi

- Reconstruction and rehabilitation of Jam Sadique Bridge Korangi

- Construction of flyover at Malir Halt at a cost of Rs 386 million

- Construction of Madar-e-Jamhoriyat Nusrat Bhutto Under pass at Mehran Hotel at a cost of Rs 458.761 million


http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/sindh/1...mised-for-city
 

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