ISLAMABAD, Dec 17: Communications Minister Ahmed Ali told the Senate on Wednesday that the Lyari Expressway project would be completed by November 2004, provided the site was cleared of encroachment and the right of way was given to the National Highway Authority by the Karachi local government.

In a written reply to a question asked by Senator Babar Khan Ghori, the minister said the cost of the project was Rs4.892 billion.

He said the Sindh government had provided alternative accommodation to the people affected by the project by launching 116 schemes in this regard. He said each affected family was being paid Rs50,000 by the provincial government. He said the provincial government had launched 45 schemes in Baldia township, 42 in Hawks Bay and 29 in Taisar Town to accommodate the affected persons.

In response to another question of Mr Ghori, the minister told the house that the NHA had proposed to convert the Super Highway into a four-lane expressway. He said the project was included in the NHA’s prospective development plan for 2001-11 and was planned to be implemented in the financial year 2005-6, depending upon the availability of funds through private sector investment or the Public Sector Development Programme.

Replying to a question of Sarwar Khan Kakar, the minister said the NHA had proposed to widen the National Highway from Quetta to Chaman.