KARACHI: Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah on Friday decided to start construction of the Mauripur Expressway and ICI Interchange project, launching of NED Tech Park project and handing over four teachers training institutions to private parties to impart teachers training in the province.
The CM was presiding over the 35th meeting of the Public-Private Partnership Policy Board.
The meeting was attended by provincial ministers Nasir Shah, Syed Zia Abbas, Jam Khan Shoro, Syed Sardar Shah, Law Adviser Murtaza Wahab, NED Vice Chancellor Dr Sarosh Lodhi, secretaries of different department and others.
The meeting was told that the Mauripur Expressway & ICI Interchange was a ‘designed, build, finance, operate, maintain and transfer’ (DBFOMT) project through a concession agreement.
The project would be financed by a private party and the provincial government through equity and debt arrangement.
The meeting was told that after evaluation of the financial and technical bids two lowest bidders were short-listed.
The chief minister in consultation with the board members decided to award the contract to the lowest bidder and directed the finance department to release necessary funds to start the work.
Teachers training project
The board approved a Teachers Training Institute & College (TTIC) project for feasibility and subsequent private partners’ solicitation.
The School Education & Literacy Department (SELD) conducted a feasibility study through transaction advisers for six TTIC’s, including Govt Elementary College of Education (GECE) Women, Hussainabad, the GECE Women, Mirpurkhas, the GECE Women, Larkana, the GECE (W&M), Darsano Channo, Karachi, the GECE (Men), Sukkur and Provincial Institute of Teacher Education (PITE), Shaheed Benazirabad.
After thorough deliberations, the board approved to hand over GECE (Women) Mirpurkhas to SZABIST, the GECE (Men) Sukkur to IBA Sukkur, the GECE (Men) Larkana to SZABIST and the GECE (Men & Women) Darsano Channo, Karachi to IoBM to operate them.
The meeting was told that the 12-km track for Malir Expressway had been levelled. There was a minor issue of alignment at Sumo Goth where a proposal of construction of a bridge was required.
The chief minister approved minor changes in the alignment and directed officials concerned to speed up work on the project so that it could be completed.
The board also approved establishment of the NED Technology Park on NED Campus with the core objective of building an innovative ecosystem through entrepreneurship, stimulating innovation-led economic growth, promoting commercialisation of research and development in association with local research centres and academic institutions and creating enhanced international and national strategic linkages to further growth and economic diversity.
NED University VC Dr Sarosh Lodhi told the meeting that the tenants to be housed in the park include anchor companies — big tech companies that would attract other smaller tech businesses to rent the space within the park.
It was pointed out that the Tech Park was proposed to have a covered area of 529,467 square feet aimed at housing technology-related companies.
Published in Dawn, January 15th, 2022
