KARACHI, Jan 5: The City Nazim, Mustafa Kamal, on Thursday asked utility services organisations to provide details of underground networks so that these could be included in the Karachi master plan.

Speaking to heads of utility services at a meeting, Kamal observed that the underground utility services network was the main impediment in the city’s rapid development and initiation of any uplift projects by city government.

He, therefore, asked them to constitute a team of senior officials of these organizations authorized to take quick decisions and getting the same implemented.

The KESC’s CEO, Frank Scherschmidt, managing directors of the SSGC and the PTCL, DCO Karachi, EDOs of Water and Sanitation, Works and Services and Revenue and other officials attended the meeting.

The meeting was told that underground utility network not only delayed uplift projects but also increased project costs. While projects were also delayed temporarily due to the absence of a comprehensive master plan, he said.

He said that despite payment of about Rs52.2 million to the KESC and Rs10 million to the SSGC, utility networks at Sohrab Goth Intersection, Rashid Minhas Road, Korangi 12000 Road, Shahrah-i-Orangi and Gharibabad Intersection had not yet been shifted.

The nazim observed that the underground train service, mass transit programme and other underground projects could not be initiated without a comprehensive master plan needed to devise any strategy for the future.

He said the city government had started work on shifting underground utility services network to one side of roads like in other big cities of the world so that underground projects could be initiated.

Mega projects: The City Nazim, Syed Mustafa Kamal, has said mega development projects will be outsourced with a view to providing opportunities to international investors to invest in Karachi.

He said this in a meeting with the Consul General of the Republic of Korea in Karachi, Sukchul Chang, on Thursday.

He pointed out that there were immense opportunities for foreign investors in the city, which contributed 68 per cent to the revenue of Pakistan.

Mr Kamal assured all-out support and every sort of facilities by the government to foreign investors.

He said it was his desire that Karachi excelled in the entire region in the trade sector.

Mr Kamal said the city’s administration was in the hands of forward-looking leadership and foreign investors would not face any difficulty.

He invited Korean firms to invest in the city so that trade activities could be promoted. He also invited mayors of Korean cities to visit Karachi.

Sukchul Chang said the Korean tradesmen and investors would avail opportunities being created by the city government.

He said, through the Korean Ambassador, he would convey this to his government and Korean firms.

Chang said: “We understand the importance of this metropolis and it is our desire that Karachi be declared twin city with any of the Korean cities.”

Chang informed that a delegation of Korean traders and investors would soon visit Karachi.

He said the friendship between Pakistan and Korea was increasing with the passage of time.—PPI\APP