PM presides over meeting on Sindh Development Portfolio
KARACHI, Nov 30 (APP): Prime Minister Syed Yusuf Raza Gilani, on Wednesday presided a high level meeting to review Development Portfolio of Sindh, here at the Governor House. The allocation for Public Sector Development Programme (PSDP) for the year 2011-12, is Rs 32.5 billion. The Prime Minister directed that the on-going development projects, with 60 percentage completion, be completed in shortest possible time to the benefit of general public. He said he would prefer to inaugurate the completed projects instead of laying foundation stones. The Prime Minister asked the concerned authorities to ensure maximum participation of the elected representatives for expediting the pace of work on the projects. He also directed the Chief Secretary Sindh to hold monthly meetings to review the progress on these projects. The meeting also reviewed the water projects in the province.
The Prime Minister expressed his satisfaction over education projects under Higher Education Commission (HEC), Information Technology and health projects in Sindh.   
 He directed Chairman National Highways Authority (NHA) to expedite the construction work on Lyari Expressway as its completion would provide a great relief to residents of Karachi by substantially improving the traffic flow in the metropolis.
 It was also decided that all bottlenecks in completion of Lyari Expressway would be removed. These include the re-location of the affectees and compensation to them.
The PM directed the Sindh Chief Secretary and the Secretary Finance, and other authorities concerned to take up the matter on priority basis and remove all hindrances causing delay in completion of this important project.
 The Chairman NHA informed the meeting that 16-kilometer Southern portion of the two-lane Lyari Expressway had already been completed in 2009 while work on its Northern part of the size length was pending because of land reclamation issue. 
 The meeting decided that 3.5 kilometers long bridge would be constructed on Northern zone of the Expressway to avoid the vacation of 5.5 Kms populated area and to complete the project within shortest possible time.
 Prime Minister directed Ministry of Finance to release Rs 103 billion to NHA immediately for this purpose so that the project could be completed in time.
 The NHA Chief informed that out of 13 on-going projects of NHA, 7 would be completed during the current fiscal year while, Larkana Khairpur Bridge over Indus has been completed.
 Prime Minister Syed Yousuf Raza Gilani also directed the Ministry of Railways, the Ministry of Finance and other relevant authorities to complete the Circular Railway Project in the city which has been subject to delay due to bureaucratic hurdles.
 The Secretary Railways informed that total cost of the project is Rs 128 billion and JICA has offered to bear 93.5 percent cost as soft-term loan.
 The Secretary Finance informed the meeting that the approval of ECNEC would be obtained and relocation of 4,600 people would be undertaken.
 The meeting also discussed the construction of M-9, the 136 Kms , 6-lane motor-way between Karachi and Hyderabad.
 The Chairman NHA informed that they are in advanced stage of negotiations with a foreign company for construction of the motorway on BOT basis.
He pointed out if every thing went according to the plan, NHA would be in position to sign the agreement in near future.
 The PM said that he himself would inaugurate the motorway and expect its completion within reasonable time.
The NHA Chairman said NHA would spend Rs 8.69 billion during current fiscal year on construction, extension and repair of roads. He also informed that additional carriage along with Ratodero-Sehwan road would be completed by 2013.
 The meeting was attended by Sindh Governor Dr. Ishratul Ebad Khan, Sindh Chief Minister Syed Qaim Ali, Federal Minister for Overseas Pakistanis Dr. Farooq Sattar, PPP-MNA Abdul Qadir Patel, MNA Haider Abbas Rizvi, Senator Syed Faisal Raza Abidi and the Seretaries and other senior officers of different departments.