ISLAMABAD, Nov 17 (APP): The National Assembly Standing Committee on Planning and Development on Tuesday discussed the status of Karachi circular railway (KCR) project and mass transit project.The committee which met under the Chairmanship of Mir Ahmadan Khan Bugti also discussed the federal government policy and availability of resources and provision of solar energy under rural electrification project Northern Region Balochistan along with Afghan border through AEDB.

Secretary Planning and Development division briefed the committee that the Karachi circular railway project has been revived and the ECNEC has given approval to the project with the condition to devise a mechanism for keeping the project off budget and to seek third party validation of design and cost escalation.

He further informed that the capital cost of the project is Rs. 128.6 billion and Karachi Urban Transport Corporation (KUTC) Ministry of Railways is the executing agency for this project.

He informed that EPA Sindh has carried out and approved environmental impact assessment of the project, said a statement.

On resource availability, he informed that loan amounting to US $ 1457.5 million is available from government of Japan and the rest of resources shall be arranged by KUTC.

Director General, KUTC elaborated that City District Government Karachi (CDGK) is executing agency for Karachi Mass Transit Project (KMTP) whose study was conducted by World Bank in 1990.

He further informed that City district Government Karachi signed preliminary implementation agreement with M/s China National Machinery and equipment Corporation Group for corridor 1 and 2 on May 2004.

Government of Sindh and CDGK has singed TORs of the Transport Study of City of Krachi with JICA.

He said that by the end of 2010 the loan for the project shall be operationalized and KUTC is in process of resolving the issues with the government of Sindh for resettlement of project affected persons.

Planning and Development Division briefed the committee on provision of solar energy under Rural Electrification Project Northern Region Balochistan along with Afghan border through AEDB.

It informed that the total cost of the project is Rs.309 million and the project has been envisaged to provide basic amenities of life  electricity and drinking water through provision of solar PV systems and 100 villages of northern Balochistan along the Afghan border.

The committee expressed its concern and dissatisfaction over the delayed execution and completion of the projects under consideration of the committee and recommended to remove bottlenecks and the barrier for the fast completion of the projects so that common man should take benefit out of these projects.

The committee was of the view that projects like Krachi Circular Railways and Karachi Mass Transit can provide cheap and fast transport system to the people of Karachi and these projects will have positive impact on the economic and social life of the city.

The meeting was attended by Shahnaz Wazir Ali, Mian Abdus Sattar, Syed Nasir Ali Shah, Nawab Ali Wassan, Farkhanda Amjad, Farzana Mushtaq Ghani, Safyan Yusuf, Khurshid Begum and Engineer Usman Khan Tarakai, MNAs.

The Minister for Planning and Development, besides other senior officials of Ministry of Railways, Economic Affairs Division, Finance Division and Ministry of Water and Power attend the meeting.