KARACHI, Feb 23: Work for survey of roads to be commercialized under the new commercialization policy could not take off due to lack of required equipment in the city government's relevant department.

Delay in carrying out the survey is incurring loss of millions of rupees to the city government on account of revenue, to be generated by commercialization of 11 new roads, but, the authorities seems oblivious to this fact.

Shahrah-i-Sher Shah Suri, Shahrah-i-Jahangir in North Nazimabad, Clifton Bridge Road to Dau Talwar in Khayaban-i-Iqbal and a portion of Clifton Bridge Road located in Khayaban-i-Jami, Khalid Bin Walid Road, Jamaluddin Afghani Road, Allama Iqbal Road in PECHS, Sir Syed Ahmed Khan Road from Tariq Road to Khalid Bin Walid Road, Shaheed-i-Millat Road from Haider Ali Road to Jail Chowrangi, Chaudhry Khaliquzzaman Road and Beach Avenue Road are those on which survey work was to be started from Feb 1.

Sources in the city government said that the CDGK could have earned over one billion rupees in the remaining part of current fiscal year 2003-04 by commercialization of these roads if the survey had been started on time.

It was learnt that the Master Plan Department of city government was assigned the task to carry out the survey of roads, but, the work could not kick off due to lack of required equipment and vehicles in the department.

"A number of summaries were moved to the city high ups for providing adequate funds to purchase equipment, however, no action has been taken and matter has been put in the cold storage," sources said.

Transport vehicles, computer survey equipment, digital cameras and peripherals as well as stationary are the essential items immediately required to initiate the work. Besides, printing of file covers with application forms are also required for the very purpose.

Sources said that the matter was also brought to the knowledge of City Nazim Naimatullah Khan, who ordered DCO Karachi Mir Hussain Ali to sanction the required funds for the purchase. "However, the DCO has held the file for unknown reason and has not paid any heed to Nazim's order so far," sources added. "Five million rupees were demanded (to carry out survey) as seed money for the project," sources said, adding that this amount could be recovered after the commercialization of roads through revenue generated.

A target of over Rs2.5 billion revenue was set in the currentbudget through commercialization of roads, but half year was lapsed when new policy was approved by the City Council, which led to revise the revenue target. Now it is estimated that over one billion rupees can be earned if the process starts forthwith.

It is also estimated that the city government can earn over five million rupees by commercializing one building on these new roads and figure could exceed over billion by commercializing all the units on these roads. - PPI