KARACHI - Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Murad Ali Shah on Friday reviewed the Rs10 billion Karachi package and directed the divisional administration/district administration to support the 100-day cleanliness drive launched by Karachi Mayor Wasim Akhtar. “This city belongs to each and every one of us; therefore, we must set aside politics and support the mayor and make the city clean.”

The review meeting was attended by Local Government Minister Jam Khan Shoro, Chief Secretary Rizwan Memon, ACS (Dev) M Waseem, Principal Secretary to CM Naveed Kamran Baloch, Finance Secretary Hassan Naqvi, Project Director Niaz Soomro and his team members.

Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah said that DMCs had enough funds, machinery and other resources to lift garbage and clean their areas, but, “I am sorry to say that they have not shown the interest that they should have shown.” He said that people of Karachi were looking up to him and making him appeals for cleanliness. He directed the minister for local government to have meetings with newly-elected chairmen of DMCs, KMC mayor and other officials and mobilise them to clean the city. He directed the Karachi commissioner to activate his deputy commissioners. “This is our collective responsibility to clean the city until the mechanical sweeping system starts working in first week of January 2017,” he said.

Shah said there was an unnecessary hue and cry about powers. “You have enough powers so just start your work and serve the people of this city who have given you the mandate,” he told the elected people. He directed divisional administration and all Sindh government departments to own the cleanliness drive started by the mayor. “Our collective objective is to give relief to the people of this city. I have started focusing on development of this city and you all help him (mayor) clean the city,” he said.

DEVELOPMENT PACKAGE

Discussing the Rs10 billion Karachi package, the chief minister got progress report on each and every scheme of the project. The chief minister was told that upgrade of the Pipri filter/pumping station, Stage–I, had been started at the cost of Rs900 million. The upgrade would enhance the capacity of the pump house and enable it to cater to the water needs of East District and DHA. These pump houses were established in 1971, then upgraded in 1989 and then in 1999.

The finance department has released 50 percent of funds and five different tenders were issued and some of them have been opened. The evaluation process is near completion and there would be a purchase/upgrade of 386 items. It was pointed out that tenders for construction of University Road from Hassan Square to NIPA and NED to Safoora Chowrangi, construction of Tariq Road from Shaheed-e-Millat Road to Shahrah-e-Quaideen, construction of Hub River Road (remaining portion), construction of Surjani to Madinatul Hikmat Road and widening of Shahrah-e-Faisal have been completed.

The chief minister expressed his displeasure at delay in work on the university road from NED to Safoora Chowrangi. “This portion is completely dilapidated and must be repaired on a war footing,” he said.

The meeting was informed that prequalification notices for construction of Drig Colony flyover, construction of Manzil Pump Flyover at N-5 Karachi and construction of an underpass at Submarine Chowrangi had been published in the national press. On this the chief minister said he did not want the project to move at such a slow pace. He told the authorities to get it done in December and report to him. The chief minister was told that roads in the Red Zone -- Teen Talwar to Metropole, Ch Khaliqzaman Intersection and Metropolitan to Zainab Market -- had been completed. The chief minister directed the chief secretary to order reconstruction of the road from Governor’s House to Sindh Secretariat and the road opposite the Chief Secretary House. “I want this entire portion reconstructed and beautified,” he said. He directed the Karachi Package project director to report to him on reconstruction of the Elfie Street. “Its condition is quite precarious and sewerage lines are overflowing,” he said.  He directed the Karachi commissioner to wake up the DMC, clean it and report to him.