PESHAWAR, July 19: The NWFP government has planned to spend Rs444 million on constructing new roads and improving highways falling under its jurisdiction during the current financial year, official sources said.

“The Frontier Highway Authority (FHA) has earmarked a sum of Rs444 million for beginning construction work on some of the new road projects and improving some of the existing dual carriage way in different parts of the province,” said one of the senior government functionaries.

Some of the allocated funds would be diverted towards the on-going project of Timergarrah-Khagram road in the Malakand region.

The 25km long project, involving a total cost of Rs190 million, is to be completed by October 2004.

However, the project is not likely to be completed within the stipulated period as, so far, only 30 per cent of the work has been completed.

Similarly, the construction of the double carriage way from Mardan to Dargai, stretching to 42km and involving a total cost of Rs420 million would also be provided with part of the Rs 444m funds earmarked for the Frontier Highway Authority for the 2003-04 financial year.

The project has been divided into three sections and the work on the first section involving 12km road from Mardan to Takhtbhai would be completed by end of September 2003.

Eighty per cent of the work on the first section had been completed, one of the government functionaries said.

However, this project too could not be completed within the stipulated period.

Sources put down the delay to rains and the agencies’ failure to shift telephone and electricity poles hindering smooth execution of the project.

The improvement of Peshawar-Naguman highway also forms part of the Frontier Highway Authority’s plan for the 2003-04 financial year.

Execution  of this project had already been started, sources said.

More funds would be released in the near future as the project also included installation of street lights on the highway, they added.

Apart from these projects, the Front ier Highway Authority  was also preparing feasibility studies for commencing execution of three communication sector’s projects in lower Dir district - home district of the senior minister of the province, Siraj-ul-Haq.