New uplift schemes for Karachi get little attention in Sindh's budget for 2020-21.

Byline: Azfar-ul-Ashfaque

KARACHI -- While the Sindh government is busy in battling an unprecedented health challenge, new development schemes for Karachi got little attention in Sindh's budget for 2020-21.

Although the Sindh government has made budgetary allocations for several key ongoing infrastructure projects, documents show it allocates Rs1.94 billion for 'Mega Schemes for Karachi city'.

The entire allocation of Rs1.94bn is made for 18 ongoing development schemes - the projects which had been approved in the previous budgets - and one new scheme for which a paltry sum of Rs9 million has been allocated.

The estimated cost of the new 'mega scheme for Karachi' is Rs190m and it relates to providing and fixing traffic signals, gantries, signboards, indication boards with rehabilitation/beautification works on business area roads, Saddar.

On the other hand, the Sindh government allocates an amount of Rs868.10m for operation and maintenance of RO plants in Lyari and Keamari.

Rs868.10m allocated for operation and maintenance of Lyari and Keamari RO plants

The development budget of local government for the next financial year is pitched at Rs12.17bn. Besides the provincial annual development programme, Rs7.69bn has been kept for foreign-funded projects.

A whopping Rs5.548bn has been allocated for the Sindh Solid Waste Management Board.

While Sindh Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah specifically mentioned 'urban road Karachi' in his budget speech in the Sindh Assembly on Wednesday, his government did not allocate a single penny for any such scheme.

'Keeping in view the economic significance of Karachi, combined with the losses in economic productivity caused by the deplorable traffic conditions on key routes near Karachi Port, the Sindh government has initiated procurement of consultancy services for development and rehabilitation / upgradation of three road routes namely (i) Link Road for Korangi; (ii) Expressway from Mauripur Road to Y-Junction; and (iii) Interchange at ICI Bridge,' the CM said.

He said the purpose was to relieve severe traffic congestion at peak hours at the key routes. 'Moreover, the proposed Link Road for Korangi carries strategic importance as it will provide an alternative route to Korangi and serve as an emergency access route for the Southern Air Command of the Pakistan Air Force,' he added.

Malir Expressway

Mr Shah also mentioned in his budget speech the Malir Expressway project and said that it was awarded in a...