KARACHI, June 28: Sindh Works and Services Minister Manzoor Hussain Wassan has said that the Super Highway between Karachi and Hyderabad is the property of Sindh government.

Replying to a question of opposition member Arif Mustafa Jatoi during the question hour in Sindh Assembly on Saturday, the minister explained that the works and services department had not handed over the right of way to the National Highway Authority. He said after federalization of the national highways the Super Highway’s control and maintenance was transferred to the NHA on Jan 27, 1993 and toll rights were handed over on Feb 1, 2000 for the construction of the motorway (M-9).

He was supported by the Muttahida minister, Syed Sardar Ahmed, who alleged that the NHA did not even pay heed to the federal communication minister’s directives. A number of letters written to the communication minister for handing over the Super Highway back to the provincial government were forwarded to the NHA, he said. However, the highway authority never responded.

When MPA Anwar Ahmed Maher asked about the spending on the repair of a two-kilometre road from Sukkur airport, Mr Wassan said it cost over Rs5.7127 million in the financial year 2006-07. The MPA, who seemed unsatisfied with the reply, asked if the minister would order an inquiry into the alleged embezzlement of funds in view of the fact that a very big amount was spent on the repair of just a two-kilometre-long road. The minister assured him that an inquiry would be conducted and its report would be presented in the house.

In response to another query, the minister for cooperation, Abdul Jalil Memon, informed the house about the names of chairman and general secretary of the Delhi Muslim Sindh and Sukkur Cooperative Housing Societies in Sukkur for the period from 2005 to 2007. He assured the member that inquiries would be carried out into alleged irregularities committed in these societies if complaints were received.

When asked about the maintenance of a lance-down bridge in Sukkur, Mr Wassan said his department did not carry out its maintenance as the bridge pertained to the railway department. However, the MPA said he had the copy of a letter whereby the bridge was handed over to the Sindh government after it was closed for railway traffic. Since then it has been in use for road traffic. He was responded by Syed Sardar Ahmed who said the land over which the bridge was constructed belonged to the Sindh government that gave it to the Pakistan Railway for a specific purpose. Since the bridge was not being used by the railway, it should be with the Sindh government, he added.

In reply to a question of Arif Jatoi, the chief minister, who also holds the portfolio of mines and minerals, said Sindh had a total of 185.465 billion tons of coal reserves with 175.506 billion tons in Tharparkar, 7.112 billion tons in Thatta, 1.358 billion tons in Badin, 1.328 billion tons in Jamshoro and 0.161 billion tons in Jhimpir.

He said the government was trying to have coal-based power generating units at Thar and Keti Bandar for which talks were going on with some foreign firms in which the federal government was also involved.—APP