LAKKI MARWAT: The district development advisory committee approved uplift schemes worth Rs70 million here on Tuesday.

The committee met with its chairman MPA Munawar Khan Marwat in the chair. The meeting was attended by MPAs Malik Noor Saleem Khan, Zarin Zia, Deputy Commissioner Syed Zafar Ali Shah, DDAC Secretary Qalam Badshah and heads of departments.

The participants of the meeting discussed matters pertaining to developmental works, performance of government departments and service delivery in the district.

The meeting approved several uplift schemes in different sectors including water supply, sanitation, communication, education, irrigation and power.

The schemes will be completed at a cost of Rs70 million. As per the directives of chief minister, Rs10 million will be spent in each provincial assembly constituency of the district on development schemes.

Similarly, Rs10 million each will be spent on development schemes under special package in all the three constituencies including PK-74, PK-75 and PK-76.

The committee also approved Rs10 million funds for the uplift projects identified by MPA Zarin Zia.

The meeting also expressed concern over prolonged power outages in the district and directed the executive engineer of Pesco to reduce duration of loadshedding. “The residents of four union councils in Kurrum Par area are affected badly by the unbearable electricity loadshedding,” said Munawar Khan.

On the occasion, deputy commissioner informed the meeting that administration was extending all sorts of assistance to Pesco to eliminate illegal power connections and improve recoveries.

The prolonged power outages, he said, would affect the anti-polio drive as residents of several localities already conveyed to the administration that they would not immunise their children until and unless loadshedding was ended.

Munawar Khan vowed to launch concerted efforts for development of the backward district. He said that pace of work on the development projects would be accelerated and use of quality construction material would be ensured at all costs.

“The residents of the district will get basic amenities at their doorsteps,” the MPA said.

He asked the heads of government departments to improve attendance of their subordinates in the offices and facilitate people in carrying out their routine work.