18 April 2004	Sunday	27 Safar 1425

ISLAMABAD, April 17: Karachi city Nazim Naimatullah Khan on Friday said that the multi-billion-rupee city mass transit project involving construction of subways at a number of places would soon become a reality when one of the two foreign firms , one from the US and the other from China, will be awarded the contract.

He said the project comprises 6 corridors, each costing between Rs22 and Rs25 billion.

Speaking at a news conference at a local hotel, the Karachi Nazim, who was here to attend an NRB seminar, said he had started work on infrastructure betterment with a vision that the development of Karachi - the economic nerve centre of Pakistan - would help develop the entire country.

He said he had proposed levying two taxes, namely 1-2 per cent port cess and 50 paisa per litre road cess, which could generate enough resources to undertake massive development schemes in the cosmopolitan city.

Responding to a question, he accepted his administration's failure in controlling what he termed the 'bhatta' mafia and interference by the ministers of a certain ethnic party.

He said the city government had tried to overcome some of the worst sewerage problems through its own resources but it required huge funding and he had decided to seek foreign investors' help for the purpose.

He said the three mega projects - Layari expressway, Karachi northern bypass and 100 million gallon water scheme - were under way and expected to be completed next year.