ISLAMABAD, Nov 1: The parliamentary secretary for communications, Dr Abdul Qadir Khanzada, on Saturday stressed the need for building farm-to-market roads to pave the way for accelerating the pace of economic uplift.

Speaking at a briefing during his visit to the National Highway Authority’s head office on Saturday, Mr Khanzada said national highways played a significant role in socio-economic development of the country. That was why the present government was paying due attention towards road building, he added.

He stressed the need for constructing farm to market roads that would facilitate transportation of agricultural produces. Such activities, he said, would prepare the ground for economic development.

Mr Khanzada said Pakistan was an agriculture country and the need was to pay particular attention towards development of transportation means in the country.

He said Hyderabad-Umarkot Road should be given the status of a strategic road and it should be developed from this viewpoint. Top priority needs to be given to the quality of highway construction work and building of highways in Sindh province, which he said, would help gear up pace of economic development.

Mr Khanzada also suggested that after completion, the NHA should monitor the highways itself for three years and that the authority should keep contact with the contractor to this effect.

The consultancy services of the highways projects should be with the NHA. He asked the authorities concerned to take measures for the welfare of the National Highway Authority which would enhance the performance of the authority.

Meanwhile, Amjad Virk, NHA’s member finance, while briefing Mr Khanzada, said the authority’s major sources of revenue were toll tax and lease money. This money was used for repair work of the national highways, he said.

He said the NHA had launched the national highway improvement programme with the cooperation of the World Bank that would help improve the highway network in the country.