Engineering Post Report
Fate of the much publicized Karachi Transformation Plan apparently hangs in balance following change of the federal government in Islamabad from TI led coalition to ML(N) led coalition.
The then Prime Minister had announced Karachi Transformation Plan in the first week of September 2020 at a press conference in Karachi in the presence of the then Sindh Chief Minister.
The Plan was estimated to cost Rs 1.1 trillion on the whole . Federal Government was to contribute about Rs 800 billion and the remaining amount was to be provided by the Provincial Government of Sindh.
Projects listed in the Plan were to be financed through Public Sector Development Programme (PSDP) of the Federal Government and Annual Development Programme of Provincial Government of Sindh as well as under the Public Private Partnership mode in two to three years in phased manner in order to solve major civic problems faced by the people of financial hub of Pakistan, Karachi.
The Karachi Transformation Plan included 13 projects. These included along with estimated cost Revival of Rivers and Nullahs Rs 10.00 billion, Roads/Expressways Rs 74.00 billion, Greater Karachi Bulk Water Supply )better known as K-IV) Rs 60.00 billiom, BRT Green Line 27 km (Infrastructure part) Rs 24.60 billion, BRT Green Line (Operationalization buses etc ) Rs 11.00 billion, Rehabilitation of Karachi Port Trust and Rail Connectivity Phase 1 Rs 1.8 billion, Five CETP for Industrial areas of Karachi Rs 11.80 billion, Karachi Circular Railway Rs 300.00 billion, Construction of additional dual track (50 kms) and freight terminal at Pipri among others.
The fate of Karachi Transformation Plan will be known when the new federal government announces Federal Budget for financial year 2022-23 along with PSDP in early June 2022.
