Lahore: The federal government has released all the funds that it had previously earmarked for the development of several infrastructure projects under a ‘Karachi Package’ announced for (fiscal year) FY2019-20, a news source reported. The data pertaining to the funds released indicates that the government has also issued a significant portion of the funds reserved in the current fiscal year for the Greenline Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) project.
The funds release was sanctioned following a meeting between Prime Minister (PM) Imran Khan and a delegation of the Muttahida Quami Movement-Pakistan (MQM-P) earlier this month. During this meeting, the MQM-P representatives requested the PM to order the release of the funds for expediting the infrastructure development of Karachi.
The development package for the metropolis includes:
Construction of a fly-over at Sakhi Hassan, Five Star, KDA Roundabout along Sher Shah Suri Road
Re-construction of Nishtar Road & Mangho Pir Road
Re-construction of Mangho Pir Road from Jam Chakro to Banaras
Rehabilitation/up-gradation of Karachi Metropolitan Corporation (KMC)’s existing fire-fighting system
As per reports, the federal government has released funds worth PKR 893 million for the construction of the crossing at Sakhi Hassan, Five Star, and KDA Roundabout. Meanwhile, the total cost of the project is worth an estimated PKR 2.386 billion.
For the Nishtar Road and Mangho Pir Road project, the executive has released the allocated amount of PKR 1.118 billion – it’s total cost being PKR 1.9 billion.
Further, it released an allocated sum of PKR 1.064 billion for the re-construction of Mangho Pir Road from Jam Chakro to Banaras. The total cost of this project amounts to PKR 2.44 billion.
Similarly, the total cost of the KMC fire-fighting system upgrade project stands at PKR 1.876 billion. The centre has released the allocated sum of PKR 855 million for the project.
Moreover, for the Greenline BRT project, the government has released an amount of PKR 1.838 billion against an allocated sum of PKR 2 billion for FY 2019-20.
