PESHAWAR: The district government, Peshawar, has set its priorities to facilitate the citizens and top of them are provision of drinking water and devising a master plan to prevent construction of housing schemes on agriculture land.

This was stated by district naib nazim Qasim Ali Shah while speaking at a press conference at Peshawar Press Club on Saturday. Flanked by other local nazims and councillors, the district naib nazim said that work on the supply of clean drinking water had been initiated.

He said that the replacement of rusted water pipelines had been initiated in Town-I and II, while pipelines would also be changed in Town-III and IV in the next phase so that people in the provincial metropolis could get rid of contaminated water.

Mr Shah said that the district government was serious to devise a plan at least to save the remaining agriculture land from being converted into housing sectors. He said that ill-planned constructions had caused serious civic issues in many parts of the provincial metropolis and all possible efforts would be made to resolve the problems. At present, he said, no master plan existed for development of Peshawar.

District naib nazim says rusty pipelines being replaced in the city

The naib nazim said that a number of standing committees had been constituted to monitor activities and performance of various provincial departments that were devolved under the new local government system.

These committees, he said, would present report to the district council for action. He called upon the departments to extend cooperation to members of the committees to achieve the required objectives.

Flanked by male and female members of the district council and others, Mr Shah said that the education, health, culture, youth affairs, and other departments had been devolved under the new local government system.

He said that representation was given to members from both the treasury and opposition in the committees.

He said that efforts were being made to resolve all issues in consultation with the opposition members and that was why accounts committee chairman was elected from the opposition. He added that agriculture, adult education, and other important departments had also been given to the opposition.

He said that the committees had been constituted in consultation with members of opposition.

Mr Shah said that an assurance committee was also formed to keep check on the performance of standing committees. He said that Rs10, 000 had been allocated in the district council budget for each committee to maintain their meeting and travel expenditures.

Answering a query about the poor performance of sanitation department and dilapidated roads in the city, he vowed that the PTI-led district government would restore the past glory of Peshawar and make it a ‘city of flowers’ once again. 

“We have got votes from people and now it is our duty to resolve the civic issues and facilitate the citizens,” he said.

Published in Dawn, January 17th, 2016