PESHAWAR: Chief Minister Mahmood Khan has directed the departments concerned to take immediate steps to make the newly established Hangu prison functional within a month and prepare PC-I for construction of access road to tourist spot Samana.

He was presiding over a meeting to review progress on various developmental projects in southern districts of the province, said an official statement here on Wednesday. Provincial members, MPAs from southern districts and administrative secretaries attended the meeting.

The meeting reviewed enforcement of the decisions made in the previous meeting regarding implementation of development schemes and addressing public issues in southern districts. The meeting was directed to include establishment of wildlife park in Bannu in the next Annual Development Programme.

The meeting was informed that a total of 42 decisions were made and directives were issued in the previous meeting out of which 11 decisions were implemented completely and enforcement of 26 decisions was in progress while implementation of some of the decisions was delayed.

The chief minister asked the quarters concerned to ensure posting of doctors and other allied staff in the newly established Doaba hospital in Hangu and make the hospital fully operational within two weeks. He asked them to identify suitable land for establishing park in Hangu.

Mahmood Khan directs officials to prepare PC-I for access road to tourist spot Samana

The meeting was informed that public health engineering department identified 79 clean drinking water schemes in Dera Ismail Khan, 119 in Bannu, 24 in Tank and 124 in Lakki Marwat to resolve the issue of water shortage in the southern districts.

It was told that two kilometres new supply line was laid to resolve the issue of low gas pressure in Kohat whereas survey was completed for supply of gas to Mohmmadzai, Sher Kot, Nusratkhel and Alizai areas.

The estimated cost of the projects was Rs2.2 billion.

Similarly, survey has been completed for provision of gas to Semi Kot and Kotqalander union councils in Bannu.

Survey has been completed for restoration and solarisation of tubewells in Bannu.

The meeting was told that establishment of secondary and middle schools for girls in Bannu was included in the current scheme of education department whereas feasibility study for the establishing girls degree college was completed.

Work on the revamping of district headquarters hospitals in Bannu and Lakki Marwat would be started very soon. Work on girls degree college in Usterzai was completed and it would be handed over to the department by June this year.

Published in Dawn, February 18th, 2021