KARACHI, Jan 4: In order to provide better commuting facilities to the people, plans have been prepared for construction of five mass transit corridors.
For the first corridor, from Sohrab Goth to Tower, an agreement is being concluded with a US firm which will complete the project by the year 2008.
These views were expressed by City Nazim Naimatullah Khan at a review meeting with a delegation of the Asian Development Bank regarding Karachi's development schemes. The Nazim further said that the corridor projects would be implemented on BOT basis and for this the local and foreign investors would be encouraged. The federal government, he said, was against the contruction of mass transit corridor on credit financing.
The meeting was attended by ADB's Economist Yesim Elhan Kayalar, Financial Specialist V.V. Subra Manian, Investment Officer Mir Mohammed Ali, EDO Finance Shakil Naqvi, EDO Revenue Mohammed Waseem, EDO Works Shoaib Siddiqi and other officials.
Naimatullah Khan said that city's major problems include the transport issue and steps are being taken for increasing the number of CNG-operated buses here under the Urban Transport Scheme.
He informed that a scheme is under consideration for construction of an over-head passage from Hotel Metropole to Airport on Sharea Faisal. The City Nazim pointed out that the City Government did not levy any new tax during the last three years while its budget registered a gradual increase.
He told the ADB delegation that the city government had been trying to solve the problems of Karachi. However, mega projects cannot be launched without the cooperation of the federal government.
He said that every year 10 new colleges are being opened and 31 per cent of the budget is allocated for education. Pointing out shortage of lady doctors and mid-wives in the city government hospitals, the Nazim said that midwifery training is being imparted to students.
Referring to Shah Faisal flyover and other projects, he said that after taking over the office of the City Nazim, efforts are being made for improvement of infrastructure and elimination of corruption. He said in one project of Shah Faisal flyover, Rs 90 million were saved.
He said that in Karachi on average, six heart patients die before reaching the Cardiovascular Institute and keeping this in view, the City Government is constructing an institute of heart diseases in Federal B Area which will be inaugurated in February.
Besides, he said that chest pain centres would be opened in the city to provide emergency treatment to heart patients. Naimatullah Khan informed that people have been provided an opportunity of getting their illegal constructions regularized.
He told the visitors that some 30 per cent water goes waste due to leakages and old pipelines and city government is preparing a scheme for replacement of such lines. The bank delegation evinced interest in the city projects and made queries on various matters. -APP
