RAWALPINDI: The newly-formed Divisional Development Committee on Saturday approved Rs2.8 billion development projects for the four districts of the Rawalpindi division - Rawalpindi, Attock, Chakwal and Jhelum.

The meeting of the committee held at the commissioner office was presided over by Commissioner Azmat Mehmood. MNAs Malik Abrar Ahmed and Raja Javed Ikhlas, who are members of the committee, along with deputy commissioners of the four districts and senior officials attended the meeting.

The federal and Punjab governments have released Rs200 million for each constituency of the National Assembly. The local administration has been directed to spend Rs100 million on schemes identified by each MNA and Rs50 million on the projects recommended by each MPA.

In the Rawalpindi district, there are seven national and 14 provincial assembly constituencies. Attock has three national and six Punjab assembly constituencies while Chakwal and Jhelum each have two NA and four PA constituencies.

The provincial government constituted the development committee to approve projects.

“It was the first formal meeting of the committee held to give formal approval to the projects under the grant-in-aid by the federal and provincial governments,” MNA Malik Abrar Ahmed told Dawn.

He said the committee reviewed the projects and got details from the deputy commissioners.

The projects recommended by MNAs and MPAs had already been submitted to the officials concerned.

The MNA said the district administrations had been asked to complete the projects within the stipulated time.

He said mostly the projects were related to the construction of roads, drains, water supply lines, schools and colleges.

Speaking at the meeting, Commissioner Azmat Mehmood asked the departments concerned to speed up the work on the schemes so that they would be completed within the stipulated time.

He also directed them to ensure the use of quality construction material in the projects.

Published in Dawn, February 19th, 2017