KARACHI, July 12: Governor Dr Ishratul Ibad on Monday said all encroachments from Northern Bypass and Lyari Expressway sites be removed and the projects completed within the stipulated time.

He warned that no impediment of any kind would be tolerated in the way of public welfare projects. Dr Ibad was talking to concerned officers while reviewing the pace of work on the two projects. "These are projects of public importance and any bottlenecks in the way of their implementation will be resolved," he added.

The governor, accompanied by City Nazim Naimatullah Khan, DCO Mir Hussain Ali and senior officials, also paid a surprise visit to Lyari, Shershah, Gulbai and Korangi. Project Director of Northern Bypass Yusuf Barakzai informed the governor that work on the Gulbai bridge would be completed by September.

He said that the survey of Machhar Nullah had been completed and half of its cleaning work had been completed. Taking serious notice of illegal bus stands in the city, the governor directed the city nazim to take immediate steps for their shifting somewhere outside the city.

While travelling through the M. A. Jinnah Road, the governor expressed his displeasure over the illegal bus stands near Taj Medical Complex. The City nazim assured the governor that bus stands would be shifted within the next six months.

He said the CDGK had suggested that the new bus stands be allotted at certain places near Abdullah College, Hino Chowrangi and in Korangi. During his visit to the Miran Naka site of the Lyari Expressway, the project director told the governor that the construction work had been delayed due to the replacement of water line, but it had resumed now.

Dr Ibad directed the concern officials to complete the work on time and go for day and night shifts in order the meet the deadline. He also directed executing personnel to take over the land retrieved after removal of encroachment and start development work immediately in order to protect the land from landgrabbers and prevent encroachment from emerging again.

The governor also took serious notice of the poor condition of Miran Naka-Shershah Road and asked the city nazim to direct the concern town administration to get it repaired.

The LEW project director told the governor that National Highway Authority, under the LEW project, would undertake construction of this road, as well as Adam Khan Road and other arteries in the area.

Talking to newsmen, Governor Ishratul Ibad said that activities of many utility organizations were hindering the smooth execution of projects whereas lack of coordination among civic organizations was causing some delay. However, he added, the development work on these project was in full swing. He expressed the hope that the projects would be completed soon.

While reviewing the pace of development work on Korangi Road, he asked CDGK authorities and other concerned officials to ensure quality of work and standard of material, besides deadline.

Project director of Korangi Road Imtiaz Rasool, in a briefing to the governor, said that the 13.5-km-long three-track road, along with the parallel service road, was being constructed by the CDGK. The project, he said, would be completed within a year. -PPI