ISLAMABAD, May 31: Federal Minister for Communications Shamim Siddiqui on Tuesday told the Senate that the government was spending Rs487 million on repair of various highways affected by floods in February. In a written reply to a question of MQM’s Senator Mohammad Ali Brohi, the minister said the government had already spent Rs50 million on repair of highways and it was estimated that another Rs437 million would be required to repair and restore other roads.

Giving a breakdown of the expenditure of the Rs437 million, he said Rs189 million would be spent in Balochistan, Rs108 million in Punjab, Rs85 million in the NWFP, Rs50 million in Northern Areas and Rs5 million in Sindh.

In response to another question, he said the National Highway Authority had utilized Rs10.7 billion out of the total allocation of Rs17.32 billion under the Public Sector Development Programme for the financial year 2004-05.

Replying to a question of Chaudhry Anwar Bhinder, he said work on rehabilitation and capacity upgradation of Lahore- Gujranwala section of the National Highway (N-5) to six lanes would likely commence by September. He said the project had been planned under the National Highway Improvement Programme funded jointly by the World Bank and the government.

He said the project would be completed in three years at an estimated cost of Rs2.5 billion.

The minister said the NHA had collected Rs6.22 billion as toll revenue during the last two years.

In reply to a question of Syed Hidayatullah Shah, Mr Siddiqui said the NHA collected Rs4.29 billion toll revenue in Punjab, Rs1.52 billion in Sindh, Rs410 million in the NWFP and Rs0.5 million in Balochistan.

To a question of Senator Azizullah Satakzai, the minister said 357 post offices were established in the country during the last two years. He said 183 post offices were set up in Punjab, 69 in the NWFP, 54 in Sindh, 30 in Azad Kashmir and Northern Areas and 21 in Balochistan.