KARACHI: Major road project in Orangi launched - Shahrah-i-Orangi to cost Rs400m
By Our Staff Reporter
KARACHI, March 5: City Nazim Naimatullah Khan on Friday performed ground-breaking ceremony of the seven-kilometre-long Shahrah-i-Orangi, to be constructed by the city government at an estimated cost of Rs400 million.
The funding for the project is to be made by the CDGK which plans to complete it in two phases, each spread over a period of one year. Speaking at the ceremony, held at Orangi No 5, the nazim said that tenders for the construction work had already been floated. The first phase of work would start by the end of this month, he said.
Those present at the largely attended ceremony were MNA Laeeq Ahmed, MPA Hameedullah Khan, Nazim of Liaquatabad Town Dr Pervaiz Mehmood, District (West) Amir of Jamaat-i-Islami Mr Shifaat and nazims of various union councils of Orangi Town.
Reiterating that the CDGK has decided to construct the city's all the major roads, including Shahrah-i-Orangi, he said that American Astho Technology was being applied to ensure durability and high standards although such an expensive method would put an additional financial burden on the CDGK.
Describing Orangi Town as the 'heart of the city', he said that by unveiling the plaque of the Shahrah-i-Orangi, he was fulfilling yet another of his promises with the residents of the town.
Eulogizing the town residents' patriotism, he recalled that most of them had offered sacrifices for the country twice - first during Partition period and then at the time of the fall of the the country's eastern wing.
He described the big number of development projects undertaken in a short span of two-and-a-half years by the CDGK as 'unprecedented in the city's history'.
The menace of traffic jams, which had become order of the day at many busy intersections like Numaish, Guru Mandir, Board Office, Aisha Manzil, Nagan Chowrangi, Five-star Chowrangi, etc., has been brought to an end, he said, and added that this had been made possible only after conducting strenuous engineering works and installing traffic signals. Now anyone may see a smooth flow of heavy vehicular traffic at these roundabouts, he said.
Besides, the nazim pointed out, Shah Faisal Colony Flyover had been completed three months ahead of scheduled and that, too, at a cost of Rs180 million as against its original cost of Rs260 million. A number of other major thoroughfares, including Rashid Minhas Road, Shahrah-i-Chishti, Shahrah-i-Ibne Sina and Nishtar Road, had been constructed by the CDGK.
Naimatullah Khan said that the work on the FTC and Shahrah-i-Quaideen flyovers was on full swing and with the completion of both the projects, vehicular traffic would pass through the Mehran Hotel-Lal Kothi section of the Sharea Faisal without any signal-pause or obstruction.
Commending the role of UCs in carrying out development works within their jurisdictions, he said that on the basis of their interest and performance, the CDGK had now decided to increase UCs' funds from Rs3.5 million to Rs6.5 million in the next financial year.
Expressing his gratitude to President Pervez Musharraf for approving Rs29 billion uplift package for the metropolis, the city nazim said that the citizens would very soon a large number of vital development projects taking off as they were at present being given final shape in cooperation with various stakeholders of the city. Upon their completion, he said, there would be a visible improvement in the city's infrastructure.
Pointing at a demonstration that was held simultaneously near the venue of the ceremony and organized by supporters of former nazim of Orangi Town Shahid Alam alias Guddu Bihari, the Nazim said there was no justification in not restoring Guddu Bihari as the Town's Nazim after Sindh High Court's directives nullifying the provincial government's decision.
He advised the provincial government not to resort to instituting false case against Mr Alam. If there was any complaint of corruption against him, such claims should be investigated properly by the Anti-corruption Establishment and nazims of UCs should be included in the process of a probe, he maintained.
A number of Guddu Bihari's supporters had staged the demonstration and many of them were holding placards inscribed with slogans: 'Release Shahid Alam immediately', 'Restore Shahid Alam as Nazim', etc.
