CM Sindh For Passage Of KMTA Bill In Next Assembly Session

(@ChaudhryMAli88)

CM Sindh for passage of KMTA bill in next Assembly session

KARACHI, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 10th August, 2016) : Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah while `expressing his surprise over inordinate delay in the clearance of Karachi Mass Transit Authority (KMTA) draft bill by `Standing Committee' of the provincial Assembly has directed to present and pass the bill in the next assembly session'. This he said while presiding over a meeting on Transport Department here at Chief Minister House on Wednesday.

A CM House official said that the meeting was attended by Minister Transport Nasir Shah, Secretary Transport Taha Farooqi, Secretary Finance Hassan Naqvi and other officers concerned. Minister Transport Syed Nasir Shah briefing the Chief Minister said that to develop an efficient transport network is inevitable in KMTA. The draft bill of the authority was presented in the assembly in September 2014 which referred it to the standing committee for clearance.

The committee put the draft bill on the back burner till May 2016, it was further pointed out. The Chief Minister `expressed his dismay'. He directed the Transport Minister Nasir Shah to table the bill in the next assembly session for the passage.

`Whatever the legal formalities are concerned you must fulfill them and where my approval is required it would be done on top priority basis," he assured. The Chief Minister directed Transport Department to establish a Karachi Mass Transit Cell (KMTC) in the Department till the approval of the authority bill and start recruitment process for the required positions.

"You need efficient, experienced and dedicated professionals to start mass transit system in the city," he said.

Briefing on the BRT corridors, the secretary said that Green Line project is 22 kilometer long starting from Surjani to Jamia Cloth Market via North Nazimabad, Nazimanad and M.A.

Jinnah Road. Work on this project is in progress. Orange Line project has been started by Sindh government. It is 3.9 kilometers long starting from Orangi Town to Matric board office. Work on this project has also been started.

Yellow Line project is 22.4 kilometer long starting from Dawood Chorangi to Numaish, Lucky Star via Korangi road. Minister Transport Nasir Shah said that it is being started on Public Private partnership (PPP) mode.

A Chinese company is going to start it and for the purpose agreement would be signed very soon. Secretary Taha Farooqi said that Red line is also a 22 kilometer long BRT starting from Malir Cantt to Regal Chowk via University Road. The project would be started with the assistance of Asian Development Bank.

The process of completing necessary formalities was going on. The Chief Minister directed the Transport Minister to personally monitor the process and get it done at the earliest. Talking about Blue Line, the Secretary said that it was a 22.4 km long project staring from New Sabzi Mandi to Tower via M.A Jinnah Road.

It would also be started on PPP mode. The Chief Minister directed the Secretary Transport to move a summary for seed money to establish KMTA office so that just after approval of the authority bill, work could be started.