KARACHI: Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah has directed the Works & Services Department to complete three under construction overhead bridges on railway crossings at Tando Adam, Kotri and Jacobabad by the month of June, noting that incomplete work has caused serious hardship for the people. He issued the directive while presiding over a meeting to review the progress of incomplete schemes and the schemes started under repair and maintenance (M&R) head here at the Chief Minister’s House on Wednesday. The meeting was attended by Chairman P&D Mohammad Waseem, Principal Secretary to CM Sohail Rajput, Secretary Works Aijaz Memon, chief engineer (roads) and other officers concerned. The chief minister said that during his visit to Tando Adam in January he inspected the overhead bridge and adjoining roads leading to the Railway Crossing. He noted that besides the railway portion, rest of the work has been completed. On this, Works Secretary Aijaz Memon told the chief minister that the railway authorities were not issuing an NOC needed for construction of the portion on the railway crossing. The chief minister expressed his displeasure and directed the secretary to speak to railway authorities and get the NOC. “In case of any issue, I will personally talk to authorities concerned,” he said. Discussing progress on the bridge on railway line between Kotri City and industrial area, the chief minister said that he had visited the bridge in the first week of February. He said work on the bridge had been left incomplete. The works secretary told the chief minister that the Sindh High Court Circuit Bench, Hyderabad, had issued a stay order in September 2017. On this, the chief minister directed him to pursue the case in the court properly and get the stay order vacated and start work. He also advised him to see if the railway authorities had issued the NOC or not so that the matter could be addressed accordingly. CM Shah said that work on the Bilawal Bhutto Zardari Flyover bridge on Jal Phatak (railway crossing) Jacobabad was also incomplete. Again, the secretary said that some private parties had filed claims in the high court. On this, the chief minister said that the high court had not issued stay order so far. The chief minister directed the P&D chairman Mohammad Waseem to conduct an inquiry into the unnecessary delay in completion of work through Chief Minister’s Inspection Team (CMIT) and report to him. “I want you to personally visit the scheme and get it completed by June 2018,” he directed. He said, “the government has utilised millions of rupees on these schemes and they would be of no use until they are completed.” He said he would inaugurate the three schemes in June, therefore, all the relevant bottlenecks must be removed accordingly. The chief minister also reviewed the Repair & Maintenance (M&R) works, saying that in 2017-18, he had allocated Rs5.32 billion for repair and maintenance of different roads and so far Rs5 billion were released. “The funds were allocated district-wise so that old roads could be improved for smooth flow of vehicular traffic.” The chief minister was informed that under M&R work on four Tando Mohammad Khan roads had been started. They include a road from TM Khan-Mullah Katiar Road to Lal Khan Brohi Road (at a cost of Rs21.3 million), a road to Achar Patel village (Rs27.2 million), a road to Luqman Khaskheli village (Rs19.1 million) and another road to Anwar Khan Nizamani village (Rs24.5 million). The chief minister directed the P&D chairman to send the director general to inspect all the roads being repaired under M&R budget and report him about their quality. Published in Daily Times, April 19th 2018.