KARACHI: Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah on Thursday directed all utilities-providing agencies to shift their installations within a month so that the work on the much-awaited BRT Red Line project could be speeded up because he wanted it to be completed before the targeted date.

The project was estimated to be completed within 30 months after its ground-breaking in 2022, but it was delayed due to technical snags and financial issues causing a great deal of public inconvenience in the centre of the city.

At a meeting, chaired by the CM, Senior Minister Sharjeel Memon said that two lots of civil works of the project — Lot-1 and Lot-2 — would be completed in March and June of 2026 respectively.

The meeting held at the CM House was attended among others by Senior Minister Sharjeel Memon, Karachi Commissioner Hassan Naqvi, Transport Secretary, KMC Municipal Commissioner Afzal Zaidi, project director of the BRT Redline and representatives of the utilities.

CM stresses need for a focal person to resolve issues among depts, utility agencies

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 department.

The senior minister, who also holds the portfolio of transport department, 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 Numaish,” he said adding that physical progress of the two lots had been achieved by 9.46 per cent and 15.3 per cent respectively.

The chief minister 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 department to develop the existing Nullah Crossing along the BRT Red Line.

The CM directed the KE to shift the utilities for which the project director of the BRT Redline had already paid 80 per cent of the amount.

He also directed the commissioner to give right of way to the power utility.

The meeting was informed that work on mixed traffic lanes, delineators, Tipu Sultan Underpass, Hydrant Underpass, King Cottage Underpass, King Cottage Station, and Safoora Pile caps were in progress.

It was informed that a temporary traffic management plan had been developed and temporary walkways at the edges were being constructed along with the removal of the median island and shifting of traffic of one lane of the main road to the service road.

The mixed traffic carriageways are also being developed.

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

He said that he would chair another meeting next week to review the progress made on his instruction.

Financial help to minorities

Presiding over a meeting of minority affairs department, the chief minister directed the department to utilise Rs1 billion meant for financial assistance, medical treatment, scholarship, marriage assistance, natural calamity, and pilgrimage assistance for deserving and needy people of minorities communities.

“Chairman of PPP Bilawal Bhutto was pressing hard to strengthen minorities by providing financial assistance, scholarships, and other facilities to their deserving people. This is why we have started two girls’ hostel projects in Karachi to house poor girls coming to pursue their education,” he said.

The CM said that 4,157,880 people or 10,000 households of minorities were economically and socially segregated. Of them, 460,000 were Christian, 3,592,500 Hindus, and 105,380 others.

He was informed that there were 911 religious places, including 734 mandirs, 141 churches, 23 gurdwaras, one Parsi place, and others.

Mr Shah said that he had allocated Rs366.463 million to install CCTV cameras at 253 ‘sensitive’ mandirs and other religious institutions.

The CM said that the provincial government had allocated Rs1 billion for the welfare of minorities, but distribution had not been made so far.

Minority MPA Mukesh Chawla told the CM that a 17-member Non-Muslim Welfare Committee had been constituted under him. The committee would scrutinise the cases for financial assistance.

Published in Dawn, July 26th, 2024