KARACHI: As Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah has termed the projects of the federal government in Sindh being executed through the Sindh Infrastructure Development Company Limited (SIDCL) ‘unacceptable’, Governor Imran Ismail on Monday held the third meeting of the company in less than a month to review the pace of development schemes in different parts of Karachi.

He also vowed to extend all-out support on behalf of Islamabad to the Karachi Metropolitan Corporation (KMC).

The meeting was held at the Governor House and attended by Leader of the Opposition in the Sindh Assembly Firdous Shamim Naqvi and other Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf legislators,

Technical tenders for the Green Line project will be opened later this month

During the meeting, the Sindh governor was briefed about the progress of ongoing federal-funded projects in Karachi and upcoming schemes in the metropolis.

“The Sindh governor while chairing a review meeting endorsed the idea of naming flyovers after prominent personalities,” said a statement issued after the meeting. “The meeting reviewed the Green Line Bus projects, acquisition of fire tenders for the KMC, K-IV water project, construction of various roads and thoroughfares of Karachi, construction of a bridge on Jinnah Avenue and other projects.”

The governor was informed that the first prototype inspection of fire tenders for the KMC would be held by the end of July, while a joint delegation of the KMC, SIDCL and third party evaluators would soon visit China to review the production of fire tenders.

Only last month, CM Shah had said that it was unacceptable that the federal government was carrying out development works in the province through the SIDCL. “Considering the province of Sindh as a ‘colony’ of Islamabad, the federal government had decided to carry out development works through the SIDCL, which is unacceptable,” the CM had recently told a press conference.

The CM was of the view that the federal government was taking up 20 schemes through the SIDCL in the name of the prime minister and had raised serious objections questioning why such organisations had not been formed in other provinces where the federal government had been investing massively.

However, his reservations apparently went unheard and the Sindh governor called the third meeting of the SIDCL in less than a month.

“SIDCL Board Member Adnan Asdar, Mahmood Maulvi, Ashraf Qureshi and officers concerned were also present in the meeting. Governor Ismail was further informed that a technical tender for the Green Line buses would be opened on July 27 while the technical tender for integrated intelligent transport system of the Green Line would be held on July 29,” said the statement.

The Sindh governor called for early completion of ongoing projects as well as initiating new projects as per the development needs of the city.

He also asked for ensuring improvement in the infrastructure of facilities especially in the metropolis. “The federal government is aware of the development needs of the province and will provide all possible assistance for this. The completion of Green Line project would provide better transport facilities to the citizens,” the statement quoted Governor Ismail as saying.

Published in Dawn, July 7th, 2020