KOHAT: The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government has sanctioned Rs173 million for provision of machinery to the KDA Teaching Hospital, and Rs103 million for restarting stalled work on the new building of the Liaquat Memorial Hospital (LMH).

The allocations have been made from the production bonus and oil and gas royalty funds.

The LMH, a project of Rs1.3 billion, has so far received only Rs30 million since 2018, as a result of which, work on the hospital has been left halfway by the contractor. However, now the government has sanctioned Rs103 million for the project.

It is expected that the government would release another Rs500 million for the project next year and try to complete it before finishing of its term in 2023.

Talking to mediapersons on Monday, MPA Ziaullah Bangash said the executive engineer of the C&W had been asked to expedite work on the LMH building.

Mr Bangash said health was the top priority of the government and that all-out efforts would be made to sanction Rs500 million for LHM in June 2022 to ensure its completion.

About delay in construction of the women university for four years, he said the delay was because a suitable site was being selected for the project.

He said classes in the Ustarzai girls college would start by June this year.

Talking about the low gas pressure in Miangan Colony, parts of the city, Jungle Khel and Chakar Kot, Mr Bangash said that he had summoned the SNGPL manager on Monday and asked him to address the issue.

Published in Dawn, April 20th, 2021