NHA Facing Financial Crunch As Govt Blocks Funds for Development Projects

National Highway Authority (NHA) is facing the brunt of overall financial constraints with the government as it is getting lower funds against the demand, which is hampering the implementation of development projects. This was stated by Member Planning NHA, Asim Amin while replying to questions during open kachehri here on Wednesday. NHA is getting fewer funds than required and is facing a financial crunch, said Member Planning, adding that there are some overall financial constraints with the government. However, NHA is expecting to get better disbursement in the third quarter of the current financial year which would help expedite the process on projects where work was either stopped or slow, he added. Amin said that the Sukkur-Haiderabad motorway (M-6) will be completed in two and a half years depending on the availability of the required things. It’s being financed on Public Private Partnership (PPP) mode to be constructed with an estimated cost of Rs. 300 billion where the government contribution will be Rs. 9 billion in three years. It was one of the most successful financial closes of the project, which would play a vital role. He further said that work on Peshawar- Torkham road linking with the Afghanistan border will be launched for bidding with World Bank financing next July. After its construction, the Motorway network would be extended to the Afghanistan border. Member Planning said that Sialkot to Kharian has been awarded to Frontier Works Organization (FWO) where total land has been acquired and work has been started on the ground. After this,  Kharian to Rawalpindi project award has been completed and land acquisition is in process. NHA officials said that Indus Highway would be dualized carriageway in financial support of the Asian Development Bank (ADB).