KARACHI   -   Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah, presiding over a meeting to review the progress of the BRT Redline project, has directed all utilities-providing agencies to shift their installations within a month so that the work on the project can be sped up, meanwhile, the traffic police would properly manage the traffic to reduce public inconvenience which has become unbearable.

The meeting was held at the CM House, and was attended by Senior Minister Sharjeel Memon, PSCM Agha Wasif, Commissioner Karachi Hassan Naqvi, MD SSWMB Imtiaz Shah, Secretary Transport Asad Zamin, DIG Traffic, MC KMC Afzal Zaidi, KE Representatives Sadia Dada, Haris Siddiqui and project director of the BRT Redline.  Senior Minister Transport Sharjeel Memon briefing the CM said that there were two Lots of civil works of the BRT Redline project. Lot 1 starts from Malir halt and ends at Mosamiat and Lot- 2 from Mosmiyat to Numasih. The physical progress of Lot-1 has been achieved by 9.46 per cent and lot-2 by 15.3 per cent.

Memon told the CM that work on Lot-1 and Lot-2 would be completed by March 2026 and June 2026 respectively.   The CM said that in the entire area of the Red Line Corridor, there were serious traffic issues, therefore people in the areas were in distress. “I want you to speed up the work on the project so that public distress can be alleviated,” he told the transport dept.  Minister Transport told the CM that work on mixed traffic lanes, delineators, Tipu Sultan Underpass, Hydrant Underpass, Kind Cottage Underpass, King Cottage Station, and Safoora Pile caps were in progress. The CM said that overall effective coordination from all utility agencies was essential through a dedicated focal person to resolve project issues promptly. He directed the KMC to coordinate with the Transport dept to develop the existing Nullah Crossing along the BRT Red Line.

Shah directed SSWMB to carry out regular cleaning and waste removal from the Right of Way along the corridor placement of waste bins at the jointly identified points. The CM directed K-Electric to shorten the procurement procedure, currently five to six months. The CM directed KE to shift the utilities for which the PD of the BRT Redline has already paid 80 per cent of the amount. At this, the KE representatives told the CM that they had not been given the right of way for shifting their cables.  The CM directed Commissioner Karachi Hassan Naqvi to give RoW to KE and their cables shifted and submit him report.  

Murad Shah also directed the water board to work with the transport department so that work on the BRT Red Line and K-IV Augmentation works.  The CM was told that a temporary traffic management plan has been developed. Temporary walkways at the edges were being constructed along with the removal of the median Island and shifting one lane of the main road to the service road. The mixed traffic carriageways were also being developed.

The CM directed DIG Traffic to deploy more traffic police at the traffic diversions to regulate the traffic.

The chief minister said that he would chair another meeting next week to review the progress made on his instruction. “I want the work on BRT Red Line to be completed much before the targeted date,” he said.

Meanwhile, Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah has asked the civil servants to be honest, dedicated and hardworking to solve the public problems as per their capacity wherever they are posted.  

 He was talking the probationers of the 7th Civil Service Training Program (CSTP) who called on him here at the CM House here Thursday. They have completed pre-service training at the Training, Management & Research wing (TMR). The delegation was led by Secretary TMR Saeed Awan.  The meeting was attended by PSCM Agha Wasif, DG TMR Issa Memon, chief instructors Aftab Memon and Asad Abro, Director Nousheen Usman and DD Khalil Shaikh.

The CM told the officers that they had a long career to reach the climax, and it was up to them to shape their career with an impressive track record of service, honesty, and dedication. “I will advise you to make your career impressive and full of service, fraught with public prayers you’ll encounter in your [service] career,” he said. Replying to their question, the chief minister said that climate change had changed the dynamics of planning and development in which climate-resilient development, economy and policies were being developed. “We are going to launch a massive stormwater drain system to combat urban flooding in the city,” he said and added he has also restored old waterways discharging into the LBOD system.

Syed Murad Ali Shah said that he was working to improve the agro-economy of the province by introducing new climate-resilient crops, developing tourism in PPP mode, and promoting the industrial sector. The CM extended his best wishes to the newly inducted and trained officers.