KARACHI: Chief Minister Syed Qaim Ali Shah was told on Thursday that the provincial works and services department (WSD) had constructed 528.561-kilometre-long roads with the Japanese assistance of Rs8.875 billion.

The chief minister said that the WSD was a national building institution and it had to ensure quality of work in the construction of road networks and buildings.

He also warned that he would not tolerate corruption and inefficiency in the execution of uplift works.

The chief minister said this while presiding over a meeting of the WSD that gave him a presentation on foreign-funded development projects at CM House, according to an official spokesperson.

Additional chief secretary (development) Aijaz Ali Khan said a Rs3,037.4 million Chinese assisted project relating to reconstruction of Nawabshah-Sanghar Road was being launched.

China would finance 85 per cent (Rs1,780.535m) of the project cost while the remaining 15pc (Rs1256.9 million) would be contributed by the Sindh government.

He said the length of the road was 60km and it would be completed within two years after awarding the contract.

“We are going to invite international competitive bidding within next few days,” he said.

Secretary of WSD Aijaz Memon said Sindh Road Improvement Project was being launched for $197.8 million with the assistance of the Asian Development Bank.

The ADB was giving 87pc funding while the Sindh government was bearing 13pc cost of the project.

He said under the project 328km roads would be constructed, including 67km Tando Mohammed Khan-Badin Road, 55km Dighri-Naukot, 64km Khaiber-Sanghar via Tando Mohammed Khan, 63km Sanghar-Mirpurkhas via Sindhri road, 36km Sheranpur-Ratodero road and 44km Thul-Kandhkot road.

“Expressions of interest have been floated for project management consultant on December 12, 2015,” he said.

Talking about the Japan International Cooperation Agency and Japanese Assisted Rural Roads, Mr Memon said it was launched at Rs8875.19 million in which the Sindh government shared Rs650.88 million.

Under the project 28.79km had been constructed in Thatta district, while 39.996km in Dadu/Jamshoro, 17.280km in Hyderabad, 73.212km in Larkana/Shahdadkot, 71.596km in Shikarpur, 183.9km in Khairpur, 103.155km in Jacobabad/Kandhkot and 10.57km road in Sukkur district had been completed.

The chief minister asked senior officials to send teams to inspect the completed roads and give him a detailed report on the quality of work and the completion report.

Published in Dawn, January 1st, 2016