November 12, 2002	Tuesday	Ramazan 6, 1423

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ABBOTTABAD, Nov 11: The Galyat Development Authority (GDA), which has been merged with the Abbottabad Development Authority (ADA), has chalked out a programme for the uplift of Galyat, the GDA Director, Ikramullah Khan sad here on Monday.

He said the programme would be executed in two phases. In the first phase, a short-term plan had been made to complete the uplift work before the commencement of next season, he added.

He said priority would be given to the construction and improvement of roads in Nathiagali, for which the authority would also increase the rental and service charges for the residents.

He said instructions had been issued to all hotels, restaurants and owners of private bungalows to make drainage arrangements and dispose of the waste in a proper way to keep the environment clean.

He said for the removal of garbage, waste bins, which would be initially provided by the GDA, would be picked and removed daily.

Ikramullah said attention would be focused on improving tourists spots in Galyat for which different spots had been selected for the construction of parks with all the latest recreation facilities.

He said private parties would be invited to develop parks at Ayubia on build-operate-and-transfer (BOT) basis. The tenders for this would be shortly floated, he added.

For the water shortage and electricity problem, the GDA director said correspondence with the Punjab government was in final stage for the release of water to the Galyat according to the agreement reached at in 1932 under which the share of the Galyat from the water reserves in Donga Gali had been earmarked at 15 per cent or 15,000 gallons per day. “If we receive our share, it will be sufficient to meet the requirements, while the GDA had also planned to educate the public on the utilizing rainwater and its storage.

The NWFP government has already taken back the funds worth Rs 100 million which were allocated to the GDA by the previous government as these could not be utilized in time.

The withdrawal of funds has put the GDA in a difficult position to implement its development programme, the director added.

The local government is making efforts to get back the funds which lapsed as these could not be used in the given time.