ISLAMABAD, June 8: The government has given a go-ahead for nine road projects of Rs56.9 billion proposed by the National Highway Authority (NHA).

Work on the projects would start soon after funds were made available, NHA chairman Mohammad Junaid said at a meeting of the executive board here on Wednesday.

The projects approved by the Executive Committee of the National Economic Council (Ecnec) include the following:

In Punjab, Qasim Bela-Shershah Road-Multan Bypass to be built at a cost of Rs2.68 billion; a bridge across the Ravi river linking Basti Dulluan-Sandhilianwali (Rs2.089 billion), rehabilitation, upgradation and dualisation of Multan-Shujaabad-Jalalpur Pirwala-Uch Sharif-TM Panah (Rs8.49 billion).

In Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Shatial-Thor Nullah Bypass will cost Rs3.84 billion; a two-lane bridge across the Indus at Khushalgarh (Rs1.538 billion), and Malakand Tunnel (Phase-I), 4.25km with 12.9km access road (Rs9 billion). In Sindh and Balochistan, one project is rehabilitation of 33km Larkana-Rasheed Waggan-Naseerabad road at a cost of Rs1.214 billion and reconstruction of 110km Basima-Khuzdar road (Rs4.4 billion).

Ecnec has also approved an amount of Rs23,566 million for post-flood reconstruction projects, the NHA board was informed. The NHA has already spent Rs800 million on temporary rehabilitation of roads network damaged by floods.

The board also discussed changes in the regulatory framework and standard operating procedure for installation of amenities such as filling/CNG stations, hotels/motels and or laying of utility lines/services viz natural gas, telephone, electricity, water, optical fibre and oil, display of promotional material and removal of encroachments.

The board observed that if a person is given a no objection certificate for business along the National Highway but he wants to change the nature of business or desires to shift the location of business, he will have to pay a separate fee in each case.

The board recommended that motorway police should be involved in the process of giving NOCs along the highways and motorways to address their concerns and reservations relating to safety of commuters.