PESHAWAR: More than five months after the start of the ongoing fiscal, the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government is set to begin implementing some new projects covered under the current Annual Development Programme, according to the relevant officials.

The provincial government, the officials say, will launch a mega development project here today (Tuesday), focusing on infrastructure improvement in Peshawar.

This will be the formal beginning of the new projects under the current ADP, including two for Peshawar.

Of the Peshawar-specific projects, one is about the city’s beautification at the cost of Rs500 million, while the other, the Rs1 billion Peshawar Uplift Programme, is about improvement of local infrastructure, including roads, sanitation facilities, water supply, streetlights and pavements.

As part of the Rs500 million project, GT Road in the provincial capital will be beautified and repaired, where necessary, at the cost of Rs178 million.

According to an official in the know, work on the project will get underway today (Tuesday).

Under the project, he said, footpaths on both sides of the road along with medians, lights, bridges, and open spaces under bridges will be improved.

Similarly, green spots will be improved with new plantation, and as part of the project encroachments along the road will also be removed.

The launch of the two projects experienced some delays due to wrangling between the Local Government and Rural Development Department and the Planning and Development Department’s Urban Development Unit.

Initially, they were reflected in the LG&RD department’s development portfolio under the ADP but later, the Chief Minister’s House unilaterally shifted it to the Urban Development Unit, causing resentment at the LG&RD department.

However, the LG&RD department led by a Jamaat-i-Islami minister vehemently opposed the move. As a result, both the projects were delegated to the LG&RD department yet again.

According to a relevant official, the ‘GT Road Beautification Project’ will be carried out without engaging a private consultant.

When asked about the provincial government’s recently introduced policy of engaging consultants for projects that involve new civil works, he said the GT Road beautification project’s PC-I had been prepared before the introduction of the new policy.