PESHAWAR: Chief Minister Mahmood Khan has agreed in principle to the proposal of creating new tehsils and subdivisions in Abbottabad district to run administrative affairs in an efficient manner and facilitate people.

He directed the quarters concerned to complete homework in consultation with the elected representatives of the district and come up with final recommendations to that effect, according to a statement issued here on Wednesday.

The chief minister also ordered the relevant officials to present progress report on the projects announced by him during his visits to various districts of Hazara region.

He has constituted a committee headed by Hazara commissioner to come up with a way forward for completion of incomplete projects under ERRA and PERRA in the region.

He was presiding over a meeting to review progress on development projects in Hazara. Besides Provincial Assembly Speaker Mushtaq Ahmad Ghani, ministers Haji Qalander Lodhi, Akbar Ayub, Ahmad Hussain Shah and Taj Mohammad Tarand, members of provincial assembly from Hazara region, administrative secretaries and Hazara commissioner attended the meeting.

Mahmood Khan orders early completion of uplift schemes in Hazara

To strengthen police in Hazara, the chief minister directed the authorities concerned to speed up recruitment process against the already sanctioned posts for certain districts of the region.

The meeting was given a detailed briefing about the implementation of the decisions made in the last meeting regarding development projects in Hazara.

It was said that a total of 34 major decisions were made and directives were issued regarding progress on uplift schemes and resolution of public issues in the last meeting out of which 12 decisions were implemented and enforcement of 16 decisions was underway while implementation of some of the decisions was delayed.

The chief minister ordered issuance of ‘red letters’ to the concerned departments for delaying implementation of the decisions. He said that main purpose of holding region-wise meetings was to ensure timely completion of development projects.

The meeting was informed that as per the directives issued in the last meeting, Section-144 was imposed to stop deforestation on Shimla Hill, a summary for upgradation of district headquarters hospital Abbottabad was moved and a project worth Rs42.18 million was prepared to improve drainage system from Ayub Medical Complex to Fawara Chowk in Abbotabad.

It was said that a summary regarding outsourcing of Boi hospital was submitted to the relevant forum while six medical officers were posted to various hospitals in Abbottabad.

The meeting was told that three medical officers were recently posted to district headquarters hospital Battagram. It was told that a scheme for establishment of polytechnic school in Battagram was included in the current Annual Development Programme.

The chief minister directed the relevant quarters to provide required funds within 10 days for completion of Galiyat bypass road project. He directed the authorities concerned to focus on establishment of medical college in Mansehra in the available building and submit final proposals to that effect.

Published in Dawn, February 11th, 2021