PESHAWAR, Jan 8: NWFP caretaker Chief Minister Shamsul Mulk on Tuesday directed the authorities concerned to carry out repair and rehabilitation of roads in the province.

Speaking at a meeting at the Chief Minister’s Secretariat here on Tuesday, he said the implementation of repair work should be strictly followed by effective monitoring.

He said the existing infrastructure needed to be taken care of in addition to constructing new projects.

Provincial ministers Mohammad Azam Khan, Syed Mohammad Ali Shah, additional chief secretary, secretaries of finance, P&D and works, MD FHA and chief engineer of works and services department attended the meeting.

The chief minister said the change of priorities as set by the previous elected governments was not desirable.

He said the approach must be to ensure judicious spending of resources so that the benefit of projects reached the common man.

He said that reluctance on the part of the administration to release funds was normally driven by the concept that the department itself might lack the capacity to use the funds.

He said the most appropriate thing was the capacity building of government functionaries so that they could serve people in a better manner.

He stressed the need for quality work on road projects.

The chief minister said that all problems were manageable and could be handled with right approach.

About the construction of roads under the proposed crash programme in districts, the chief minister asked the officials concerned to set parameters as to which project was needed most.

He said that every penny of the provincial exchequer should be used judiciously.

The chief minister said the funds allocated to districts were demand driven and should be utilised as such.

He expressed the desire for holding a seminar in Peshawar regarding the launch of projects to highlight development achievements made so far.