KARACHI - Prime Minister Imran Khan’s plan to inaugurate five federal government-funded projects in the city had been postponed after he was told that there was a delay in the completion of some of these projects, said Sindh Governor Imran Ismail on Friday.
Addressing a presser, the governor said that five projects that were to be inaugurated by PM Imran Khan during his Karachi visit included three flyovers over Sakhi Hassan, Five Star roundabout and KDA roundabout.
The Nishtar Road and Manghopir Road phase-I are also completed. Ismail said that he had asked the premier to delay the inauguration as roads leading to the sites of these projects were still in a bad shape. “Our purpose was to build the flyovers, not the roads leading to them,” he said, and added that soon new dates would be announced.
He also rejected the notion that the federal government was not cooperating with the Sindh government, and said that the province was also a part of the federation and one should not indulge in a blame game.
He also supported the anti-encroachment drive on the orders of the apex court, and said that they would not tolerate any hindrance during the drive.
Meanwhile, later in the day, at a briefing about the projects initiated by Sindh Infrastructure Development CO. LTD (SIDCL), the Sindh governor was informed that the SIDCL had completed five federal government-funded projects and despite delay in the completion of these projects, the authorities were able to save up to Rs 250 million from the amount set aside for them.
“The amount was saved from the three flyovers constructed at Sakhi Hasan, Five Star Chowrangi and KDA Chowrangi,” the officials said.
They further said that it was decided to utilize the leftover amount for the construction of roads in District Central of the city. “The process to repair roads around Sakhi Hasan has already begun while roads around two other flyovers would also be repaired soon,” they said.
The SIDCL authorities said that since the five projects were completed, the authorities could open it for traffic before the inauguration.
Meanwhile, the governor has already said earlier that the key transport project-Green Line bus project- would take eight more months to complete and the final date for its inauguration would only be announced by the prime minister.