KARACHI, June 28: The city Nazim, Niamatullah Khan, on Tuesday, vowed to make Karachi a most modern and civilized city of the Islamic world by the year 2010. Delivering the fourth and the last budget speech of his four-year term of office in the City Council, he said the quantum of development projects carried out in the city could be judged from the fact that the city government had spent Rs35 billion during the last four years on an unprecedented number of development projects, including Rs5 billion which were given at the discretion of the city council members for undertaking uplift plans.
Highlighting the major developments which the CDGK has already completed or initiated, he said these include Karachi Institute of Heart Diseases, introduction of 250-jumbo size CNG and air-conditioned buses, setting up of three major inter-city buses termini on Super Highway, National Highway and Hub Road; Women library complex, football academy at Lyari, overhead pedestrian bridge in front of Federal University of Science and Technology, completion of FTC flyover, Shahrah-i-Quideen Flyover which is nearing completion, and foundation stone has been laid for construction of flyovers at Sohrab Goth and Hassan Square and Shah Faisal Colony — Korangi bridge, development of model parks, construction of a large number of major roads and installation of lights on all major thoroughfares, setting up of new schools and colleges, setting up of a women’s university and modern bus stops, etc.
Besides, Rs 29 billion Tameer-i-Karachi Programme had already been initiated with the cooperation of different stakeholders of the city which includes Pakistan Steel, KPT, PIA, he said, adding development plans amounting to Rs5 billion have already been initiated by the city government under the TKP while Rs2b have been allocated in the next fiscal year budget for carrying out development projects under this programme.
VISION-2010: Unfolding the details of his Vision-2010, the Nazim said the CDGK, in collaboration with the federal and provincial governments, would set up a surveillance system to check activities of anti-social elements so that all those efforts which are made to ensure rule of law, peace and tranquillity, progress and prosperity, are not sabotaged.
He said the city government has decided to form peace committees at each union council and also to set up a computerised demographic monitoring system in the megapolis.
EMPLOYMENT: The Nazim said since the issue of unemployment is the root cause of poor law and order situation, the city government has planned to create 100,000 jobs for youths, besides creating 14,000 jobs in health and education sectors and initiation of women’s employment schemes.
In addition to this, 40,000 jobs would be created in the private sector shortly after initiating the CDGK’s cottage industry plan and farming estate’s projects, he said, adding plans are also afoot to provide 5,000 jobs in the city mass transit, tramway and green bus plans and another 20,000 jobs would be created in the wake of unprecedented number of development activities taking place in the city.
Listing the CDGK’s future plans, he said these include introduction of tramways in congested areas of the city, traffic signals operation through solar energy, lane-marking work on all roads by December.
He said other plans include construction of vertical car parking plazas at 10 places of the city, improvement of the city’s infrastructure, planning for constructing 48 more flyovers and underground ways and construction of underpasses at Lea Market, Liaquatabad Dakhana, Karimabad and Fresco Chowk and construction of an elevated road on Sharea Faisal on BOT basis, Qasba tunnel, Orangi Expressway, Southern Bypass, setting up of jetties and dams for fisheries sector, setting up of emergency and chest pain centres.
Besides, 50 colleges and two women universities would be set up, 18 technical training centres would be set up for women and 18 adult literacy centres would also be set up, he said.
