Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah presided over a joint meeting of the Irrigation Department and Works & Services Department at the CM House, where he reviewed the progress of key development projects across the province and directed the Works Department to prepare a plan for dualizing the road from Jamshoro Phatak (railway crossing) to Hyderabad via Kotri Barrage. Provincial Ministers Nasir Shah, Jam Khan Shoro, Ali Hassan Zardari, Chief Secretary Asif Hyder Shah, PSCM Agha Wasif, Chairman P & D Najam Shah, Secretary Works Mohammad Ali Khoso, Secretary Irrigation Zarif Khero, Zubair Channa of P & D, and other relevant officials attended the meeting. While reviewing the K-IV water supply project, CM Sindh discussed the restoration of the KB Feeder and Keenjhar Lake, a Rs39.9 billion project, with the federal government contributing Rs19.4 billion. To date, Rs4 billion has been spent, and the Chief Minister urged authorities to expedite the work. Emphasizing the importance of infrastructure and water projects for Sindh’s development, Murad Ali Shah directed all departments to ensure the effective execution and timely completion of initiatives aimed at improving public services across the province. The Chief Minister was briefed on 799 ongoing development schemes under the Works & Services Department, with a total cost of Rs. 166 billion. He stressed the need for timely completion and high-quality execution, instructing officials to finalize all ongoing projects before the end of the financial year. The CM stated that for the fiscal year 2024-25, the government has not introduced any new schemes but is focusing on completing existing projects. Of the Rs55 billion allocated this year, Rs. 37 billion has already been utilized, while the throw-forward liability stands at Rs111 billion. Major Infrastructure & Water Projects: Murad Ali Shah also reviewed the Left Bank Outfall Drain (LBOD) system, a project initially estimated at Rs115.4 billion under the federal Public Sector Development Program (PSDP) but revised to Rs172 billion. He directed officials to obtain approval for the project from the Central Development Working Party (CDWP) and noted that no expenditure had been made so far. This year’s allocation is Rs100 million. Additionally, he instructed the dualization of the Jamshoro Phatak Road up to Kotri Barrage, calling it an essential infrastructure upgrade. “The construction of this road would accommodate light traffic in Hyderabad city,” he said. Discussing the Coastal Highway the CM was informed that the 36-kilometer extension of the Coastal Highway is facing cost overruns. The project, initially estimated at Rs16.2 billion, has seen its revised cost rise to Rs29.9 billion. The project has been allocated Rs3 billion, with Rs. 1 billion already released. However, the Steering Committee overseeing the project has raised issues with the bidding process. A significant portion of the escalated cost, Rs6.851 billion, is slated to be covered by the Sindh government, with Rs6.5 billion already available as a matching grant. The Steering Committee has mandated that the Works Department to address the bidding process. The CM directed the chairman of P&D to resolve the outstanding issue and resume the work.