KARACHI, Aug 7: An amount of Rs 20 billion is to be spent on construction and development in the city during the current financial year.

This was stated by City Nazim Naimatullah Khan while laying the foundation stone for the Rs 39 million upgrade of the Numaish Chowrangi and the Rs 46 million Bacha Khan Chowk improvement plan here on Tuesday.

The Nazim said that the city development fund would be fully utilized by the end of the fiscal year, and for this purpose the city government had initiated development schemes to be undertaken at a fast pace.

He said that the city government had kept transport problems on the top of its development agenda.

He told the gathering that when he took over on August 14, 2001, the city was presenting a scene of ruins.

During the last one year, the city government had spent Rs one billion on the repair and improvement of roads, whereas this year Rs 1.5 billion would be spent on roads.

The Nazim said that the city government is trying to fill the gap caused by the lack of development activity in the past 25 years.

He informed that work on the road leading to the Madinat-ul-Hikmat would be started soon, while work on the road from Marine Drive to Banaras Chowk had started.

He asked Town Nazimeen to pay attention to the roads in their respective towns, as he wants no road left broken when the financial year comes to an end.

Khan disclosed that work on the revival of the Karachi Circular Railway and the monorail project is also gaining speed, while work on flyovers at many roundabouts had commenced.

He said work on the Guru Mandir flyover is also about to start. He said these projects would be made possible within three months, and after their completion, the traffic flow at these roundabouts will improve greatly.

Speaking on the occasion, District Coordination Officer, Shafiq-ur-Rehman Paracha said that Rs 828 million are being spent on the repair and improvement of roads under the Khushhal Pakistan Phase-III programme, in consultation with Town Nazimeen.

Paracha said that when the KPP Phase-III will reach its completion, the city’s transport problems would also be solved. —APP