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Karachi, February 09, 2018 (PPI-OT): Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah has given 10 days to Asian Development Bank (ADB) Country Director to work out a plan to construct underground and Mezzanine floor for BRT Station at Numaish so that final decision could be taken to start the project.
He took this decision in his meeting with ADB Country Director, Pakistan Resident Mission Ms. Xiaohong Yang who along with Mian Shaukat Shafi, Head Urban Unit of ADB and others met him here at the CM House. The meeting was attended by Minister for Education Jam Mehtab Dahar, Chief Secretary Rizwan Memon, Chairman P and D Mohammad Waseem, Principal Secretary to CM Sohail Rajput, Secretary Education Iqbal Durrani, Secretary Transport Saeed Awan, Secretary Works Aijaz Memon and other concerned officers.
The projects which came under discussion include Supporting Public Private Partnership Investments in Sindh Province, the Proposed Sindh Education Sector Investment Programme and ongoing and future energy sector projects, and ongoing and future transport projects particular, Sindh Roads and Karachi BRT.
The Chief Minister said that the major objective of BRT is to improving the urban transport system (UTS) of Karachi. He thanked the ADB for providing technical and financial support to implement a bus rapid transit (BRT) corridor and strengthening institutions and organizations managing the urban sector.
It may be noted that the project preparatory technical assistance (PPTA) would build on feasibility studies for priority BRT corridors undertaken by JICA for Green and Red Lines and the government for Yellow Line and on advance preparation activities undertaken under an ADP Cluster. The ADB has approved a $9.7 million Project Design Advance (PDA) loan for BRT project.
The ADB Country Director suggested the chief minister to establish an Underground and Mezzanine floor for Station at Numaish. It must be developed a retail area. The chief minister said that it would consume more time to start the project. On this she suggested to involve her engineers and expert team to design and monitor execution of the project. The chief minister gave her 10 days to give him a detailed report containing estimated cost and completion period.
RED LINE: The ADB is working on 21.5 km long Red Line BRT starting from Model Colony, Airport, University Road, NIPA and Numaish. It would be around $200 million project. The chief minister also approved establishment of Karachi Bus Rapid Transit Company responsible for operation and maintenance of different Lines.
EDUCATION SECTOR: The ADB and School Education department has identified three areas, including increasing access at secondary education level, improve teachers quality and capacity and introduce examination reforms.
INCREASING ACCESS AT SECONDARY LEVEL: This would involve support for strengthening government’s school education PPP programs such as Education Management Organisations (EMOs) programmes and programmes operated by Sindh Education Foundation (SEF) and improving public school infrastructure, including class rooms, laboratories and missing facilities such as drinking water, toilets and boundary walls.
TEACHER QUALITY: The Teacher Quality, Teacher Management and Accountability for Improved Secondary Education Outcomes (TQTMAISEO) involves support for programmes aimed at improving pre-and in-service teacher training, recruitment and placement; as well as measures to strengthen teacher performance assessment and accountability for education outcomes.
EXAMINATION REFORMS: This would involve support for improving the structure and design of secondary education examination system. The chief minister directed Secretary School Education Iqbal Durrani to submit concept paper with ADB so that the project could be approved.
The other project came under discussion was Enhancing Public Private Partnership. Chairman P and D briefed the chief minister and said the projects envisages strengthening the Sindh government capacity to select and develop PPP projects, effectively manage PPP project-related fiscal risk and strengthening of PPP project management capacity of concerned departments.
It is a $184.13 million project in which ADB loan would be 54 percent, DFID grant would be 11 percent while Sindh government share would be 35 percent. In the meeting the projects was approved and necessary actions would be taken accordingly. The chief minister approved release of Rs5 million to start the project.
For more information, contact:
Press Secretary,
Chief Minister House, Sindh
Tel: +92-21-99202019 (Ext: 336)
Website: www.cmsindh.gov.pk