KARACHI, May 12: A project to expand a portion of Korangi Road was launched by Sindh Governor Mohammedmian Soomro on Sunday morning.
The expansion of the 3.2-kilometre-long road, between Hino Chowk (at Qayyumabad) and Korangi Crossing, will cost Rs47.39 million. The Sindh government will pay Rs20.69m, the city government Rs15.01m and the rest will be contributed by the Defence Housing Authority and the Korangi Association of Industries.
The design envisages that the single-track road will be turned into a double-track carriageway, with each track having a 24-foot width. Street-lights will be installed on the road and both ramps over the Malir river will have protective railings. Besides footpaths, it will have a 0.6-metre median.
The road has developed many deep and wide potholes. The portion between the two ramps has particularly been the scene of scores of fatal accidents as the fast-moving vehicles try to avoid the potholes and collide with vehicles coming from the other sides. In the absence of street-lights, the road is more dangerous at night.
The road expansion will fulfil a long-standing demand of the residents of Landhi-Korangi.
IT UNIVERSITY: The city’s first information technology university will be established in Korangi and a PC-1 for it will be submitted on Tuesday to the Sindh government, which has promised to help the city government in the early completion of this project.
Speaking at the foundation-stone laying ceremony of the Korangi expansion project on Sunday, City Nazim Naimatullah Khan said Korangi had grossly been neglected by past governments, but this government would pay due attention to solving problems of this area.
He said the KDA’s Civic Centre in Korangi would be turned into the IT university.
The Nazim said work on the IT university, an important project for the youths of Landhi-Korangi, would begin with the submission of PC-1 to the Sindh government for approval. “Then the Sindh government will provide funds and work begin.”
He said not only Korangi but the whole of Karachi had been ignored by previous rulers, who plundered its resources and cared little for its development.
Mr Khan said the city government had already spent Rs800m on the construction of roads and the Sindh government was helping it whole-heartedly. He said no project would be left incomplete. “I keep telling people that the projects under way now will bear my name on their completion and nobody else’s.”
He also referred to the megaprojects of Lyari Expressway, Northern Bypass, the 100-mgd water supply project (K-3) and the flyovers at Shah Faisal Colony launched by the present government.
The city Nazim said the Malir development project would provide recreational facilities and job opportunities to many people.
Governor Mohammedmian Soomro, speaking on the occasion, pledged that his government would extend all possible help to the city government in establishing the proposed information technology university. He praised the city government for planning such a useful project.
He said the present government had made primary education compulsory in certain areas and urged people to enrol as many children as possible. He also asked parents to ensure that their children attended school as without proper attendance there was no point in having more schools and colleges.
The governor said the government was keenly striving for the people’s welfare and the recent referendum result had shown that the people had overwhelming trust in the government and wanted its policies to continue.
He said the government would provide necessary funds for welfare projects. “We have the same resources as the earlier governments had. But we are using them judiciously and in a transparent manner. And you would have seen the results of our efforts during the last two and a half years.”
Mr Soomro, however, said the government’s top priority was to restore the rule of law, and appealed to the people to help the government in its efforts.
Earlier, Abdul Jamil Khan, Korangi Town’s Nazim, said Korangi, where lawlessness had ruled supreme for a long time, was a peaceful Town now.
“People had stopped visiting their relatives and friends in Korangi out of fear,” he said, adding that because of the present government’s policies there was no such fear now.
He said Korangi had many problems to face but the worst was the sewerage problem, and the Town needed huge funds for it.
Others present on the occasion included DCO Shafiq-ur-Rahman Paracha, EDO (works) Brig Zaheer Qadri, Nazims, Naib Nazims and councillors.
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