PESHAWAR, June 28: Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Pervez Khattak on Friday expressed dissatisfaction with the performance of police, saying they have failed to check incidents of kidnapping for ransom, targeted killings and other crimes in the province.

“I am totally dissatisfied with the performance of police and have told the inspector general of police to produce results within a week. Those failing to show results will be taken to task and will be repatriated to the centre,” he told the provincial assembly here.

The session was presided over by deputy speaker Imtiaz Shahid Qureshi.

The chief minister said he had directed the provincial police chief to set up a powerful intelligence wing in police as without intelligence gathering, crime could not be controlled.

He said police should make a mechanism to go after criminals and bust their hideouts instead of letting them target police and security personnel.

Mr Khattak said besides police, he had directed the officers of other departments, too, to improve efficiency, but to no avail.

“If my directives are not followed, then they will have to face the music,” he said.

The chief minister asked the House to give him time until July 30 to ensure the resolution of the people’s grievances, saying the government had already issued certain directives and guidelines to all departments in this respect.

He said the government had set up complaint cells in all departments including the chief minister secretariat which receive thousands of public complaints against the government departments.

“The government is very serious about it and we will take crucial decisions to the benefit of the people,” he said.

Mr Khattak said the government would soon legislate on access to information, conflict of interest, third party validation and independent accountability commission. He said the chief minister’s inspection team had been found involved in corruption and therefore, they couldn’t ensure accountability.

About the allocation of funds for development schemes for MPAs, the chief minister said such funds would be utilised through the district development advisory committees (DDAC) while recommendations of the relevant MPAs regarding the schemes would be accommodated.

He said the project committees were disbanded as they had turned into a huge network of corruption and that funds would be utilised through DDAC.

Mr Khattak said the PTI government would not undermine the role of lawmakers in the utilisation of funds but the spending would be made through DDAC to maintain transparency.

Development funds amounting to Rs20 million are allocated to each member annually. They are spent on the recommendation of the relevant MPA for executing schemes in his/her constituency. The funds are earmarked for lawmakers under Tameer-i-Sarhad Programme and the government has allocated Rs2.48 billion in the annual development programme for the head for fiscal year 2013-14.

The chief minister said his government would begin work on hydel power generation projects in the next four months to produce 5,000 megawatts. He said foreign investors had showed interest in investing money in power sector of the province but the major hurdle to it was the delicate law and order situation.

Earlier, the House passed the supplementary budget valuing Rs17 billion for financial year 2012-13. The opposition members withdrew their cut motions.

On a point of order, ANP parliamentary party leader Sardar Hussain Babak said the price of wheat had increased by Rs350 per one maund (40 kg) recently. He said the province was facing shortfall and the Punjab government’s ban on transportation of wheat to it had worsened the situation.

“The government should take measures to preempt wheat shortage in the province,” he said.

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