PESHAWAR: Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Pervez Khattak has said that PTI-led coalition government has been awaiting announcement of the schedule of the local government elections by the Election Commission of Pakistan as it had already enacted the Local Government Act in that regard.

This he said while talking to various delegations of MPAs and elders at the CM Secretariat here on Wednesday, according to a handout. The chief minister assured proper resolution of all the public grievances presented by the MPAs.

Mr Khattak said that the provincial government had transferred all the powers to the concerned departments and institutions instead of centralising and restricting them to the CM Secretariat like in the past. He said that the ministers and departments were now free in decision making to deliver to masses in a systematic manner.

In response to a demand about release of funds for construction of spurs alongside rivers to protect precious agricultural lands from floods, he said that such mega schemes had been made part of the current ADP.

He revealed that several feet wide concrete protection bunds were being constructed on both sides of the rivers passing through Charsadda and Peshawar up to Nowshera and all other rivers. He assured that such concrete embankments would tame gushing rivers, thus protecting populations and crops from devastation in future.

About deficiency of teachers and classrooms in schools and medical staff in health institutions, Mr Khattak said that all such needs were being fulfilled on crash basis under the educational and health emergencies. He said that the ratio of one teacher for 40 students would be ensured and qualified teachers be appointed to improve standard of education.

Mr Khattak also directed the divisional and district administrations to resolve public complaints about performance of departments and institutions at local level.

MNA Shehryar Afridi, mineral development minister Ziaullah Afridi, MPAs Wajeeh-uz-Zaman, Shaukat Ali Yousafzai, Mian Khleeq-ur-Rehman, Javed Nasim Khan, Arbab Jehandad Khan, Mohammad Ali, Zahid Durrani, Zarin Zia Marwat, Deena Naz Khattak and Nagina Khan were also in attendance.

Published in Dawn, September 11th , 2014