Karachi: President Asif Ali Zardari will soon visit Gorakh Hill Station to see himself development works at the site with a view to accomplish vision of Shaheed Benazir Bhutto, who had visited the hill station in 1989 along with him and visualized developing it into a full resort for promoting tourism in the province.
Director General, Gorakh Hill Station Authority, Nazir Ahmed Chakrani, in a meeting here at his office on Wednesday with field officers reviewed the ongoing development works. He told that President during his recent visit to Karachi issued special directives for speeding up work on development schemes and promised to visit the area.
DG informed that a new alignment of 54km road of all-weather from Wahi Pandhi to Gorakh Hill top is being considered for which a PC-I is under preparation. He said some new schemes including widening of a road from Wahi Pandhi to Gorakh Hill top and construction of small bridges have been sent to planning & development department for approval.
The tourism minister Muhammad Ali Malkani has directe4d to complete ongoing work before the expected visit of President, he added.
The meeting was informed that a number of development schemes including construction of tuck shops, staff quarters, tourist huts and water supply lines have been completed.
It may be mentioned here that the rehabilitation work of development schemes including roads and bridges at Gorakh, the first ever hill station of the province in Khirthar mountain range West of Dadu district, damaged during the super floods of 2010 and heavy monsoon rains of 2011, couldn’t start for a long time as Sindh government had not released required funds.
The Gorakh Hill Development Authority (GHDA) had proposed Rs.150 million but the government sanctioned Rs.50 million only and that too were awaited even after end of first quarter of current financial year, official sources told PPI.
Sources said that allocations have been made in Annual Development Program and as per routine it takes time to get the funds released. “The GHDA will move PC-I for revision of allocation as these funds are insufficient in view of inflation. The rates of everything have increased therefore more funds would be required,” sources told.
Gorakh Hill Station site is located in Dadu district at the altitude of 5688 feet above the sea level having day temperature of 15 to 16 degree centigrade and minimum of 5 to 6 degrees centigrade at night even in summer season. The first ever development work at the Gorakh Hill station was initiated in 1989. About 21 years have passed but the hill station is still under-developed. The PPP-led Sindh government has spent more than Rs.1 billion on the development of Gorakh hill station during its current tenure but the development works were destroyed during the super floods of 2010 and torrential rains of 2011.
Floods had destroyed the main road from Wahi Pandhi town to Gorakh hill station, the water pipeline up to peak and other development works. Land-sliding during the heavy rains had blocked the approach roads.