KARACHI, Nov 28: The three departments involved in initiation of Lyari Expressway — the National Highway Authority (NHA), the Sindh Government (GS) and the Karachi City Government — have not reached an agreement on a number of issues.

It had been decided by the authorities that the Lyari Expressway Project (LEP) would be built by the NHA, and the City and Sindh governments would arrange for alternative plots for about 14,000 residential units established on the path of the LEP whereas the KDA would build low cost houses for them. The LEP will cost Rs4 billion.

According to plans, the total width of the LEP will be 130 feet and most of the encroachments are in (now defunct) Central and East districts.

Nevertheless all the concerned agencies are at odds over different issues and some basic differences between the NHA and the Sindh government are yet to be resolved.

The P&D department maintains that since the NHA is the contractor and will make profits from the contract the charge of collecting toll tax be given to the Sindh Government .

Another conflicting issue is the rehabilitation of residents of 14,000 houses, which would require at least 300 acres.

The NHA with the help of satellite pictures has identified 39 vacant plots measuring about 107 acres in Central, East and South districts apart from Gutter Baghicha, measuring about 400 acres where the affected could be shifted.

However, according to sources in the Revenue department all the empty plots identified by the NHA are amenity plots.

The NHA had earlier said that the work on the Lyari Expressway would begin in December this year and would be completed by 2004. However, the NHA chairman said it would take a couple of months to start the project.—PPI