PESHAWAR: Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Mahmood Khan on Monday said the government would relax the ban on the class-IV appointments for different development projects of Peshawar.

Talking to 100-member jirga of Khalil and Momand tribes at the Chief Minister’s House here, the chief minister said he had visited different hospitals of the provincial capital and learned about the burden of tertiary healthcare centres there.

He said the government would strengthen the secondary and primary healthcare centres to reduce the patient burden on Peshawar’s health facilities.

The chief minister said his government was going all-out to resolve the basic problems of the local residents.

“The early completion of Bus Rapid Transit project and permanent resolution of electricity and gas issues are on top of my government’s agenda list,” he said.

Tribal elders inform CM about civic problems

Mr Mahmood said he would call a separate meeting on the issues of the Khyber Teaching Hospital and Lady Reading Hospital for their early resolution. He asked the relevant authorities to address the complaints about the Peshawar University’s gates and others matters.

The chief minister said the province generated 10 per cent of its income and was dependent on 90 percent of the centre’s resources but even then, his government was taken steps to widen the fiscal space to generate more and more money for the people’s development.

He said the relevant authorities were laying down the necessary infrastructure to increase gas flow.

He said the infrastructure development was going on and after the completion there would be no low pressure of gas etc which he added was the permanent solution to this problem. The chief minister said the completion of BRT project would resolve traffic congestion in the city and would turn around the landscape of the city. He announced the establishment of a college for girls in the visitors’ area and said the government’s land would be used for the purpose.

Mr Mahmood asked the people not to use illegal power connections, including kunda (hook) ones, and to stop power theft and said the federal minister for energy had promised the maximum facilitation to the provincial authorities for reducing the electricity-related hardships of the people.

The visitors led by MPA Pir Fida informed the chief minister about civic problems in the suburbs of Peshawar University and demanded their early resolution.

They also called for the opening of different gates of the university, and resolution of the issues related to BRT, electric supply and low gas pressure. Government spokesperson Ajmal Wazir, elected representatives, VC of the Peshawar University and other officials also attended the meeting.

Published in Dawn, December 11th, 2018