ISLAMABAD - The Finance Minister has announced an allocation of Rs328 billion for infrastructure sector out of total Rs1000 billion allocated in Public Sector Development Programme (PSDP).
Finance Minister in his speech has said that the transport infrastructure is the top priority of the federal government and it is evident from the fact that a major development budget is earmarked for this sector.
He highlighted that on the directions of Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, Rs100 billion have been allocated for the dualisation of Karachi to Chaman National Highway (N-25), which passes through Karachi, Bella, Khuzdar, Kalaat, Quetta and Chaman.
Meanwhile, Rs15 billion are allocated to complete a missing link of north to south motorway network, which is Sukkar-Hyderabad Motorway.
The federal government has allocated an amount of Rs227 billion for the National Highway Authority for its ongoing and new projects. However, this time instead of incorporating new schemes, government has focused to fund most of the ongoing schemes as only Rs2.15 billion is allocated for new projects.
Major allocations for ongoing projects include, Rs8.6 billion for Indus Highway (N-55) Additional Carriageway project (Shikarpur-Rajanpur Section) Length 221.9 KM (ADB Funded), Rs6.2 billion for construction of Rajanpur-D G Khan Section of N-55 as 4-lane Highway (121.50 KM) (ADB funded), Rs7.2 billion dualization & rehabilitation of DG Khan Section – DI Khan Section of N-55 (208.19 km).
On the other side, Rs6 billion are allocated for construction of Hoshab-Awaran–Khuzdar section of M-8 Project; Section-2: Hoshab-Awaran-Naal, length 168 KM, Rs5 billion for Sialkot (Sambrial)–Kharian Motorway, Rs6.5 billion for Relocation of Karakorum Highway between Thakot & Raikot due to construction of dams on River Indus (241 KM).