KARACHI: Sindh Minister for Local Bodies on Wednesday laid foundation stone for the construction of Madar-i-Jamhooriat Begum Nusrat Bhutto underpass to be built by the Karachi Metropolitan Corporation at an estimated cost of Rs 510 million.

The underpass from Hotel Mehran to Lucky Star covering a total length of 338 metres, including two ramps, would be completed in a record time of four months, said the minister.

Talking to journalists, he said work on the project was twice initiated in past when there were local governments in the city but it did not go ahead because of paucity of funds and lack of adequate planning despite the fact that it could have helped reduce massive traffic pressure on one of the city’s busiest thoroughfares.

He said the PPP government in the province was committed to resolving people’s problems and undertaking issues of public interest. It had not only earmarked adequate funds but also put in place a foolproof strategy to help materialise such projects, he said.

Mr Memon said that around Rs110 million had been spent on removal of supply lines of electricity, gas and water to make room for the underpass.

He reiterated the government’s pledge to complete the project within four months and said the bridge being constructed in Malir-15 would also be opened for public on April 15.

He said that it was Zulfikar Ali Bhutto who had taken keen interest in developing modern infrastructure in Karachi. His daughter Benazir Bhutto followed in her father’s footsteps and spread an efficient road network with adequate provision of link bridges etc, he said, adding the vision was further carried forward by PPP chairman Bilawal Bhutto and co-chairman, Asif Ali Zardari.

The minister said the promises made by PPP chairman and co-chairman about construction of thoroughfares, flyovers, bridges and underpasses in the metropolis and other parts of the province would be duly fulfilled.

He said that work on a flyover at Golimar, which had been stalled for the past two years, would be resumed next month while work on elevated flyovers on Sharea Faisal and construction of dual carriage-way on link road between National and Super Highways would be undertaken during the same period.

Answering questions, the minister said the PPP government had always followed a policy of reconciliation and it was only the PPP that had proved in practice that no political party could be ignored.

He said that political reconciliation was the vision of PPP but the elimination of terrorism was every government’s responsibility. “In fact, operation against terrorists and criminals has been going on in the province for the past five years when MQM was also part of the provincial government,” he said.

To another question, he said that neither MQM nor any other political party were focus of the ongoing operation. Both police and Rangers were focused on weeding out criminals and terrorists from society, he said.

Karachi Commissioner Shoaib Ahmad Siddiqui, Karachi Administrator Saqib Soomro, project director Khalid Masroor, KMC Commissioner Masood Alam and other senior officials concerned also accompanied the minister at the foundation laying ceremony.

Published in Dawn, March 19th, 2015

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