19 October 2004	Tuesday	04 Ramazan 1425

MUZAFFARABAD, Oct 18: The Azad Jammu and Kashmir Cabinet Development Committee approved on Monday development schemes worth Rs5.795 billion.

Prime Minister Sardar Sikandar Hayat presided over the meeting which was attended, among others, by ministers, secretaries and heads of departments.

An official handout issued on Monday said that the highest amount would be spent in resource management sector under the Asian Development Bank funded 'Multi Sector Rehabilitation Project' costing Rs4.56 billion.

The project included schemes in electricity distribution system, rehabilitation of damaged schools, construction of buildings of shelter-less schools, rehabilitation of major roads, blacktopping/upgrading of rural roads, construction of jeep-able and foot-bridges and rehabilitation of urban infrastructure on the basis of population.

Under the same project, government servants from different departments would be imparted training to use computer and other modern technology so as to enable them to render more effective services to the public.

In the sports sector, a scheme was approved for acquisition of land and construction of sports stadium in Rawalakot at a cost of Rs146.31 million and another scheme costing Rs44.229 million for acquisition of land, construction of buildings and provision of equipment to three girls' colleges of Bhimbher district was approved in education sector.

In the health sector, construction of civil hospital in Rawalakot was approved at a cost of Rs191.975 million whereas in the forestry sector three World Food Programme assisted Integrated Land Management Projects were sanctioned in Muzaffarabad, Bagh and Poonch districts at a cost of Rs120.055, Rs96.007 and Rs91.815 million, respectively.

In the animal husbandry sector, federal government funded livestock support services and food quality control project was approved at a cost of Rs88.961 million. Similarly, in the agriculture sector, another federal government funded scheme to strengthen agriculture extension and farm services was approved at a cost of Rs54.755 million.

In the hydro power generation sector, a scheme for establishment of 1.6 megawatt hydel power generation in Leepa (Muzaffarabad district) was approved at a cost of Rs102.027 million.

In the transport and communications sector, the revised scheme of construction of main road from proposed Naluchi bridge to existing Neelum bridge and construction of link road from Naluchi bridge to Balapir electricity colony was approved at a cost of Rs114.718 million.

Similarly, restoration of damaged portion and reconditioning of Muzaffarabad-Dawarian road was also approved at a cost of Rs53.53 million and position paper regarding 'improvement and reconditioning' of Neelum Valley road from Noseri to Zero Point and Athmuqam to Lawat was also approved at a cost of Rs45.405 million.

Speaking at the meeting, the prime minister took serious stock of slow progress on developmental work saying that it amounted to depriving the public of benefits of the development work.

The prime minister asked the chief secretary to change the ACR (annual confidential report) forms so that the officials' performance vis a vis on development side could also be recorded for consideration of their promotion.

He directed the secretaries and heads of the departments to submit their monthly progress-cum-inspection reports to his office by the fifth day of every month and pinpoint the culpable officials in case of slow progress so that appropriate action could be taken in time.

Referring to complaints attendance in the offices would scale down in the absence of prime minister and ministers from the capital, Mr Hayat asked the participants to redress the complaints and directed the chief secretary to improve the monitoring of employees.

Sources said that the prime minister expressed displeasure over what he said was irrational allocation of development schemes under the ADB funding and constituted a three-member ministerial committee to review the matter.

The committee comprising Works Minister Mumtaz Ali Gillani, Local Government Minister Raja Nisar Ahmed and Education Minister Chaudhry Mohammad Aziz was also asked to include schemes from the ignored areas.