KARACHI: Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah has termed the establishment of Larkana Industrial Estate a precursor to economic and social change in the area and directed the minister concerned to speed up work on gas connection to the estate so that plots can be allotted to industrialists.

Chairing a meeting at CM House here on Friday, the chief minister said that the energy department would pay Rs326 million to Sui Southern Gas Company as challan for provision of gas connection to the industrial estate. Minister for Energy Imtiaz Shaikh, Minister for Industries Jam Ikram Dharejo and the officers concerned attended the meeting.

He asked the land utilisation department to transfer title of Larkana Industrial Estate to the SITE Limited so that the process of allotment of industrial plots could be initiated.

The chief minister was informed that the industrial estate was inaugurated by Pakistan Peoples Party chairman Bilawal Bhutto-Zaradri in January 2021 and now the estate land’s title had to be transferred to start allotment process.

The industrial estate has been established over an area of 500 acres in Deh Samano, Bakrani taluka in Larkana district. Its groundbreaking ceremony was performed in December 2009.

The industries minister told the chief minister that the industrial estate was established at a cost of Rs2.4 billion and it had 94 industrial plots, each measuring one acre, 20 commercial plots of 1,000 square yards each and 95.41 acres earmarked for other facilities.

He said that 90 per cent work on the project had been completed and procurement of fire tender, ambulance, tractors and trollies and security vehicles was in process.

The energy minister said that the chief minister had approved an amount of Rs326.125 million for gas connection. An NOC was required from Pakistan Railways to pass gas pipeline under railway line as the nearest gas line was three kilometers away from the SITE area, he said.

The chief minister directed the energy minister to expedite work on the gas connection so that the process of plots’ allotment to industrialists could be started.

Published in Dawn, October 23rd, 2021