KHANEWAL, Aug 16: Various parts of the provincial highway connecting Mahni Sial and Jhang via Kabirwala are in a dilapidated condition for the last five years. Various sections of the 125-km-long road, including Mahni Sial-Kabirwala, Kabirwala new bus stand to Kabirwala outer point and Nikkassu to Shorkot, are almost unmotorable.

These scurfy parts of the highway have not only caused several accidents, they have also damaged vehicles besides causing dust allergies and related diseases to commuters and those living along the highway.

Punjab Food Minister Syed Hussain Jahanian Gardezi, who belongs to Kabirwala, said the Punjab government had included this project in the Road Sector Development Programme with the collaboration of the Asian Development Bank in 2003. This project included rebuilding of the worn-out portions and construction of 56-km-long Jhang bypass.

About delay in construction of this project, Gardezi said the project had been awarded to a Chinese firm but it could not start work because of some procedural delays and hitches in land acquisition.

“Now we have succeeded in getting the work bifurcated on this project and the firm has been asked to immediately start work.”

Kabirwala Tehsil Nazim was not available to comment.