09 May 2004	Sunday	18 Rabi-ul-Awwal 1425

LARKANA, May 8: The Sindh government has decided to construct 300-km-long coastal highway from the Ghaghar Crossing to Ali Bandar.

This was stated by the Sindh minister for works and services, Arbab Ghulam Rahim while talking to newsmen here on Friday.

He said the feasibility report of the two-phased project was ready and the government was seeking proposals from elected representatives of the area.

"Construction of roads is priority of the government and many road projects will be completed within five years", he said.

The minister was satisfied over the degree of cooperation extended by the National Highway Authority in not only repairing roads in Sindh but also including new schemes.

Replaying to a question, the minister said that the Sindh government had proposed five bridges over the River Indus right from Kashmor to Sujawal.

"The first priority is to construct a bridge over the River Indus to connect Larkana and Khairpur districts". He said not only the alignment was finalized in consultation with elected representatives and the district government but also the final proposal had been submitted with the NHA.

He was optimistic that work on the Larkana-Khairpur bridge would start soon.

Replying to another question, the minister said that the law and order in Sindh was not ideal and there was a need to improve it.

He claimed that relations between the Muttahida Qaumi Movement and the Sindh government were improving.

The minister also held a meeting with the district nazim, officers of communication and works department.

The Sindh secretary for works and services, Ashfaque Memon, DCO Dr Badar Ujjan, the chief engineer of the Asian Development Bank, chief engineer Sindh highways and others attended the meeting.

LCCI: The Larkana Chamber of Commerce and Industry has demand repair of the weak portion of the flood protective bund of the River Indus near the Akil village.

In a statement, the president of the chamber, Iqbal Shaikh, feared that the bund might develop breaches in floods if precautionary measures were not taken.

He opposed the division of Larkana, terming it a political bribe to a particular group.

He also demanded the establishment of a burns ward in the Chandka Medical College Hospital as there was no such ward in the district's hospitals.