PESHAWAR, March 7: The construction of a bridge at Kotkai in South Waziristan Agency would cost Rs 22.1 million, said an official of the C&W while briefing newsmen at Agency headquarters Wana on Thursday.

He told that construction work on 132-metre-long bridge would start in the coming two weeks and would be completed within two years period.

The official of the C&W said that the government has embarked upon gigantic projects worth millions of rupees to develop the tribal areas on sound footings.

He said the work on expansion and metalling of 10-kilometre-long Ladha-Tiarza road would be taken in hands shortly which will cost Rs 40 million. Expansion and metalling of Tormandi-Chagmalai road projects has also been approved, he added.

About other road projects which were under-construction in the Agency, he said, construction work on 19-km-long Saam to Masip Maila road was in progress. This project will cost Rs 45 million. Moreover, work was also in progress on Saplai to Nano road project which would cost Rs 25 million.

Answering a question, he said, expansion and metalling of Jandola-Wana road would be under taken shortly costing Rs 40 million.

He said reconstruction work on the building of High School Kanigaram would be started soon at a cost of Rs 10 million. Construction work on the building of Govt High School Shahoor was in progress and is expected to be completed in two months period.

About the special development package, the official of the C&W disclosed that Rs 1.5 billion have been earmarked for the execution of different nature development schemes in the Agency. The provincial government after according approval to the package, has sent it to the federal government for final approval.

The package includes construction of 400 kilometre roads project in South Waziristan Agency besides constructing four bridges. Moreover, 116 public health engineering tubewells would be made available in the Agency under the package. It also included about 100 irrigation schemes.

Besides establishing Girls Degree College in the Agency under the development package, eight new middle schools would also be set up. Govt High School Kanigaram would be upgraded to higher secondary level, he added. The package also contained setting up of 32 primary schools and two computer centres.

Rs 30 million would be spent on provision of better Medicare facilities at the Agency Headquarters Hospital.—APP