The Sindh cabinet on Tuesday approved a wide package of measures covering finance, infrastructure, energy, health, security and education, authorising Rs 8.824 billion for water and drainage schemes across the province and Rs 11.198 billion for major infrastructure projects in Karachi.
According to a statement from the Chief Minister’s House, the cabinet approved Rs 8.824 billion in additional funds for 16 Annual Development Programme (ADP) schemes in the water supply and drainage sector for the 2025-26 financial year.
Of this amount, Rs 6.206 billion will be re-appropriated from the ADP block allocation, while Rs 2.618 billion will come from another development allocation. The chief minister instructed the relevant administrative departments to ensure that all payments are made within the current financial year.
The cabinet also approved 11 non-ADP infrastructure schemes under the Karachi Mega Project, to be financed from the ADP 2025-26 allocation for ‘New Development Initiatives’. The combined estimated cost of these projects is Rs 11.198 billion.
The schemes include improvement and rehabilitation of key roads and transport corridors in Karachi, such as Haji Ibrahim Essa Road, Haji Camp Road, Korangi Link Road, Clifton roads connecting to Marine Drive, Mehran and Pajero roads in Scheme-33, Korangi Creek Airbase Road, the extension of Jinnah Avenue in Gulzar-i-Hijri, and the Baldia Stadium Road project linking Shahrah-i-Orangi to Hub River Road.
The cabinet also approved the construction of two major bridges at Power House Chowrangi in North Karachi and 4-K Chowrangi in Surjani Town to improve traffic flow and urban connectivity.
To kick-start these schemes, the cabinet sanctioned Rs560 million — about five per cent of the total estimated cost — from the ADP for the current financial year.
The cabinet approved a new framework to receive the province’s constitutionally mandated 12.5 per cent natural gas royalty in kind, rather than entirely in cash, on a field-to-field basis.
The meeting was told that this shift in natural gas royalty could add Rs26bn annually.
The cabinet also approved the Sindh Nursing Workforce Strategic Policy 2026-2040 to address severe shortages.