KARACHI, May 17: A high-level meeting presided over by Sindh Chief Minister Dr Arbab Ghulam Rahim on Wednesday reviewed the Karachi Circular Railway project.

After receiving a detailed briefing on the project, the chief minister directed the officials concerned to get the phase-II of the project completed within a year so that citizens could be provided with better and cheaper transport facilities.

He was informed that the City Transport Corporation would commence the KCR in collaboration with the Sindh government and Pakistan Railway for which the Japan International Corporation would extend a 40-year loan of $900 million at a mark-up of 0.45 per cent.

Dr Arbab was informed that the KCR coaches would be fully air-conditioned and its fare would be Rs15 only.

City Nazim Syed Mustafa Kamal, Additional Chief Secretary P&D Ghulam Sarwar Khero, director general of mass transit and other officials, besides representatives of the concerned Japanese companies, attended the meeting.

Meanwhile, presiding over another meeting, held at the CM’s House, Dr Arbab reviewed the progress of the work on exploration of mineral resources, particularly coal, in the province.

He said that coal reserves were not restricted only to Thar and Khanot areas but they were also available in Thatta, Badin, Tando Mohammad Khan, Hyderabad, Sunn and Aamri areas.

The meeting noted that exploration of coal in four blocks in Thar areas had been completed and the work in blocks 5 and 8 was under way.Minister for Mines and Mineral Development Irfanullah Marwat, secretaries Hameed Akhund and Ghulam Nabi Shah, and other officials attended the meeting.—PPI