KARACHI, March 16: City Nazim Mustafa Kamal on Thursday said that paperwork on the monorail project connecting Surjani Town to Merewether Tower had been completed and construction work on the project will start soon.

Talking to members of the Karachi Chamber of Commerce and Industry, he said during the next four years, around 8,000 CNG buses would ply on city roads to ensure adequate transport facilities.

He said work on the Sohrab Goth to Tower mass transit corridor would also start during the next few months.

Talking about corruption, he said he had returned all employees working on deputation to their parent departments to check corruption.

He said no one was above the law and everyone would have to work as per rules and regulations.

“If such elements are allowed to misuse their offices, they will not only ruin the city but will adversely affect the whole country.”

He said the K-III water project for supplying 100 million gallons of water daily to the city would be inaugurated during the current month and the city government is awaiting confirmation of the date of inauguration.

Mr Kamal said the city government was developing eight car parking lots on the M A Jinnah Road besides constructing multi-storeyed parking plazas. The parking plazas would be catering to 1,500 to 2,500 vehicles.

This would be a good investment opportunity for investors, he said, adding that investors would be provided facilities including approval of the map.

About the Jehangir Park in Saddar, the nazim said it was not used by families for recreation due to which the city government was seriously thinking of converting it into a parking lot.

“We know that environmentalists will write articles against us but we intend to make Saddar area convenient for pedestrians.”

The city nazim announced that intercity bus terminals including bus terminals operating at Old Sabzi Mandi and Lea Market will be shifted out of the city in the near future.

Work on establishment of three bus terminals was already in progress, he added.

He said the city government’s records were being computerised with the support of Microsoft, which he added, would help check the issuance of duplicate files of land vis-à-vis checking fraud and bogus land transfers.

The computerisation would also enable the city government to receive complaints of citizens through email, he said.

Talking about improvement in the city’s infrastructure, Mr Kamal said the city government was working on the sewerage system before starting working on roads.

He said investors were pouring their money into Karachi only because of their commitment and love for the city, Sindh and their country.

He criticised the previous city government for just laying a plaque at the Gharibabad underpass. Groundwork on the project never started there, he said. But he added that his government had made a comprehensive plan and would complete the said underpass in four months.

“Citizens are in trouble due to massive construction work on the roads but they should show patience. I am sure they will pray for us after completion of all projects in the city,” Kamal remarked.

The city nazim reiterated that the airport to Site road would be made signal-free for which two flyovers at Hassan Square and Time Medicos would be constructed.

A fly corridor from Karachi Port to Quaidabad on the National Highway will also be constructed.

“A Malaysian firm will construct this corridor for $225 million, which would be paid back in 15 years from the toll tax income.”

He also announced that a city government-KCCI liaison committee had been formed for consultation on city government plans. A notification about the committee will be issued in a couple of days, he said.

Kamal said the city government was also working on the city master plan so its haphazard expansion could be brought under some discipline.

Earlier, KCCI President Haroon Farooki said the city government should combine all taxes being collected from traders and industrialists. “The business community is willing to pay taxes but it should be reasonable,” he remarked.

—APP