Karachi: Construction of Signal-Free Corridor-III

[Naveed Yaseen]

Resettlement of Preedy Street affectees begins
The resettlement process of the affected of the Preedy Street project began on Sunday, with as many as 1,385 houses and shops being relocated from Lines Area to Mehmoodabad.

City Nazim Syed Mustafa Kamal performed the ground-breaking ceremony for the demolition of houses near Basharat Park in Lines Area. He also addressed a public meeting at Shahrah-e-Quaideen, where he gave ownership rights of alternate land along with cheques of Rs50,000 each to the affected of Preedy Street.

The city government has started work on the construction of Signal Free Corridor-III, and the construction of Preedy Street and four flyovers at this corridor will be completed within the next four months, he added.

Earlier, the affected handed over the keys of their houses to city government. Families settled in the area before 1947 would get a 120 sq. yards plot each, while those who settled in the area after 1947 would get 80 sq. yards plot each. Shopkeepers will be provided with 20 sq. yards plot each.

The two-track, which will stretch from Mazar-e-Quaid to Saddar, will be completed within four months as part of Signal Free Corridor-III. Besides the shifting of people and razing of structures, the construction of Preedy Street was also started by the city government.

Speaking at the occasion, the city Nazim said that the affected were being resettled at a place where they would have all basic facilities, including water and sewerage. He clarified that the proposed land for Treatment Plant-II has not been disturbed, and the space has been secured for next hundred years.

Paying tribute to the affected of Preedy Street, he said that these people, who were the voters of the Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM), had voluntarily and in the larger interest of the city agreed to leave their homes where they had been living since the past 60 years.

Mustafa Kamal thanked Sindh Minister for Local Government, Agha Siraj Durrani, and expressed hope that the Sindh government would continue patronizing the projects of city government.

http://www.thenews.com.pk/daily_detail.asp?id=164009