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Sindh CM yet to approve funds: SFC-IV project may be in jeopardy

By Irfan Aligi

KARACHI: The City District Government Karachi (CDGK) has still not initiated work on the flyovers of the Signal-Free Corridor-IV project, apparently owing to a dire lack of funds.

Work on four flyovers of the SFC-IV, out of a total of eight, should have been started around six month ago but the Sindh government still hasn’t approved the required funds.

These four flyover, which are planned to be built on different locations at the Shahrah-e Faisal, are the Mehran Hotel flyover, Regent Plaza flyover, PAF Chapter flyover and Chanesar Goth flyover

The Sindh government was supposed to provide 75 percent of the total funds, while the CDGK was giving 25 percent to the project, sources privy to the matter told Daily Times.

Recently, the Sindh Local Government Department and the Sindh Planning and Development Department have twice moved a summary to the Sindh chief minister on behalf of the CDGK for the approval of the funds, but with the request that the Sindh government should now partake provision of 100 percent share for the project as the city government was not in a position to add any pecuniary share due to its already worsening financial deficit, said the sources.

The summary was submitted in the past six months but was returned to the departments concerned with instructions to furnish the incomplete details on some aspects. The federal government would fund two of four remaining flyovers of the SFC-IV project, one at Malir No 15 and the other at Malir Halt, the sources said.

The CDGK has been allocated Rs 2 billion under the Karachi Package for the fiscal year 2009-10, which include the assorted development projects inclusive of the SFC-IV.

Apparently, the Sindh government would not readily approve the funds and in case it does, the CDGK’s demand for a 100 percent feedback in terms of funds is unlikely to be entertained.

The fate of the SFC-IV hangs in the balance due to this situation and the sources have said only the top leadership of the Pakistan People’s Party and Muttahidda Qaumi Movement could resolve the issue.

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