KARACHI - Deputy Mayor Dr Arshad Vohra has said that construction of Golimar Underpass and Younasabad Bridge will be completed in the first week of December.

Chairing a meeting of the Works & Services Department here on Thursday, Vohra said the elected leadership of Karachi was answerable to people therefore ongoing development projects must be completed on time.

Works and Services Department Director General Niaz Soomro, chief engineers, superintending engineers from all city districts and directors of various projects attended the meeting.

The deputy mayor urged them to give priority to small projects such as carpeting of roads and patchwork and rehabilitation of pavements and street lights side by side major development projects. He said that each district should have a separate chief engineer for these works.

Works and Services Department Director General Niaz Soomro gave a detailed briefing to the deputy mayor about development works in Karachi. He said that mega projects amounting to Rs10 billion were being initiated in Karachi and allocation of funds had been made from annual provincial development fund for various sectors – Rs541 million for fire brigade, Rs850 million for Pipri filtration plant, Rs770 million for construction of University Road from Hasan Square to NIPA Flyover, Rs777 million for construction of the same road from NED University to Safoora Goth, Rs516 million for construction of Tariq Road, Rs200 million for construction of Mausamyat Road, Rs844 million for widening of Shahrah-e-Faisal from Metropole Hotel to Star Gate, Rs400 million for construction of bridge at Korangi Crossing, Rs785 million for construction and widening of road from Jinnah Terminal Flyover to Quaidabad Flyover and Rs50 million for a rainwater drain in Federal B Area.

The deputy mayor stressed the need for completion of all development projects in minimum possible time so that people could avail better facilities.

Separately, Municipal Commissioner Dr Badar Jameel said minorities in Pakistan had all rights. He said they were provided necessary cooperation on their religious festivals.

He said this while talking to a delegation of Sikh community led by Sardar Ramesh Sigh, patron-in-chief of the Pakistan Sikh Council, at his office. The municipal commissioner assured the delegation that all possible facilities would be provided to them for programmes from Nov 12-14 in connection with Baba Guru Nanak’s 548th birth anniversary. Delegation members thanked the municipal commissioner for his cooperation.