KARAK: Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Mahmood Khan on Tuesday announced a Rs2 billion package for gas supply to the entire population of Karak district and said oil and gas royalty funds were the right of people of Karak and other oil producing districts.

He was addressing separate ceremonies held here to inaugurate development schemes.

The chief minister said the government in line with the prime minister’s vision had launched the Karak Area Development Project to ensure that royalty funds are spent on the development of the people of Karak.

Earlier, he inaugurated work on the Makh Banda Dam to be completed at an estimated cost of Rs814 million in three years.

Mr Mahmood said the dam would help cultivate 725 acres of land.

Says oil and gas royalty funds being spent on district’s uplift

He also inaugurated work on the rehabilitation of the 38km Banda Daud Shah-Gurguri Road to be completed in two years at an estimated cost of Rs587 million and the Rs270 million Ghar Kalay Shuhada Road.

Addressing public meetings in Makh Banda and Banda Daud Shah areas, the chief minister said under the Karak Area Development Project, various development schemes of billion rupees in education, health, public health engineering, communication and other social sectors had been initiated for the sustainable development of the district.

He said more than Rs9 billion would be spent on various development projects in Karak district during the next four years and that every penny of oil and gas royalty would be spent for the wellbeing of the people of oil and gas producing districts.

Mr Mahmood said the government was investing on human development, whereas the previous rulers did nothing for the people and looted the exchequer.

He said the government was working under a comprehensive development strategy to put those districts on the path of sustainable development.

Terming the unavailability of clean drinking water as a major problem of Karak, the chief minister said his government was serious about the resolution of this long standing issue on permanent basis.

He said under a Rs720 million project, clean drinking water would be supplied from Lawaghar Dam to Karak city benefitting 90,000 people.

Mr Mahmood said work on the Bannu Road dualisation had begun and it would finish at the estimated cost of Rs4 billion and Rs2 billion had been released for it.

Highlighting other development projects for Karak, the chief minister said work was underway on the upgradation of health facilities in the district, whereas a major teaching hospital was also being established in the province’s southern region.

He said Rs450 million had been allocated in the current financial year for various road projects in the district and Rs550 million for the construction of a sports complex.

Mr Mahmood said the Peshawar-DI Khan Motorway project to be completed at the estimated cost of Rs260 billion was of vital importance for southern districts.

He said the extension of Sehat Card Plus to the entire population of southern region would be launched until the end of the current month after which every family of southern districts wouldalso get free health facilities up to Rs1 million per annum.

Published in Dawn, January 27th, 2021