GILGIT: Chief Minister Hafeezur Rehman has announced that two more districts are being carved out from Diamer district of Gilgit-Baltistan.

Speaking at a public gathering in Chilas on Monday, Mr Rehman said the Deral Valley and the Tangir Valley in Diamer would be two districts and a notification in this regard would be issued next month.

After the creation of Deral and Tangir districts, there will be 12 districts in Gilgit-Baltistan.

Read: Gilgit-Baltistan’s status

The chief minister said Rs50 billion would be allocated in the next annual budget for setting up the new districts. “This is a message for our political opponents who claim that we cannot do so.”

He said 400 people had been provided employment in Diamer district, a 200-bed hospital would be completed in the district within seven months and Rs1bn would be provided for establishing a polo ground in Chilas.

“There will be no compromise on development work of Diamer,” he added.

Mr Rehman criticised the federal government and said the people who had claimed to have brought about a change in the country had diverted funds meant for the Diamer Bhasha dam to other dams.

He said all roads in Chilas would be reconstructed and the issue of shortage of doctors in government hospitals would be resolved.

He promised to make Chilas a beautiful city.

The chief minister visited children and women wards of an under-construction government hospital in Chilas and examined the quality of work.

He also visited Wapda Colony where officials of the Water and Power Development Authority briefed him on problems being faced by its residents.

Published in Dawn, April 09th, 2019