Karachi, January 15, 2019 (PPI-OT): Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah has issued directives for construction of road and beautification of the areas cleared from encroachment around Empress Market and Karachi Zoo and disclosed that he had a plan to make Saddar a pedestrian area.
He also directed Local Government Minister Saeed Ghani to prepare a plan for rehabilitation of affected shopkeepers and traders and submit him for approval. “We will not let any affected person unattended.”
This he said on Tuesday while presiding over a meeting to review progress of Karachi Mega project schemes and conceive new schemes for the next financial year. The meeting was attended by Minister Local Government Saeed Ghani, Chairman P and D Mohammad Waseem, Principal Secretary to CM Sajid Jamal Abro, Secretary Finance Najam Shah, Commissioner Karachi Iftikhar Shahalwani, Special Secretary Local Government Niaz Soomro, PD Karachi Package Khalid Mansoor and other concerned officers.
At the start of the meeting, the chief minister discussed the rehabilitation of the shopkeepers and small traders affected with the removal of the encroachment from Saddar and Karachi Zoo. He directed Minister Local Government Saeed Ghani to work out a detailed plan for their [affected shopkeepers] rehabilitation and submit him the same for approval. “I want to rehabilitate the affected shopkeepers immediately by giving them stalls on temporary basis under a short term arrangement and in the long term land would be identified for establishment of a market to accommodate them,” he said and issued directive for preparation of short term and long terms plans.
The chief minister was also proposed that night markets as are fashioned all over the world and such markets could be started. “The patharawala/vendors can be adjusted in night market to be starting from 10 pm to 3am in Saddar,” the commissioner said. The chief minister directed him to put up the night market proposal.
Mr Murad Ali Shah directed Local Government Minister to make necessary arrangement for lifting of the debris of the shops/structures bulldozed at Empress Market and Karachi Zoo. “I have visited the Empress Market and noticed that debris was still lying there which must be lifted,” he said and added that the British era market would be restored in its original shape by constructing road around it and a small park, a sitting place and such other things could be developed there. He directed Special Secretary Local Government Niaz Soomro and PD Karachi package Khalid Masroor to start beautification work of the Empress Market and also directed the to reconstruct wall of the Zoo from where shops have been bulldozed and also construct a footpath and beautify the entire area.
For the next year budget, the chief minister directive Chairman P and D Mohammad Waseem to prepare schemes for development of a park at Aram Bagh, construction of a tunnel like underpass between two star hotels, PC and Movenpick, and creation of a 50-foot lane for the traffic coming from Metropole hotel towards Marriot Hotel. He added that the tunnel between the two hotels would make the traffic flow smooth on the main road and there would a proper market in the tunnel for shopping.
Reviewing pace of different schemes launched under Karachi package, the chief minister directed the project director to expedite work on widening of bridge over Rs1 billion Orangi nala near Habib Bank, construction of roads surrounding Lee Market for which Rs649.1 million have already been allocated, re-construction of 8000 Road from Jam Sadiq Bridge to Dawood Chowrangi for Rs1.2 billion.
He also directed Commissioner Karachi Iftikhar Shahalwani to talk to Army authorities for sparing land for construction of U-turn at Natha Khan Bridge for which Rs214.466 million have been allocated. The meeting also decided to identify more road sectors, drainage and other development schemes for Karachi in the next budget. Abdul Rasheed Channa | Media Consultant to CM Sindh.
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