TAXILA: Convener District Development Committee (DDC) and MNA retired Maj Tahir Sadiq has emphasised on ensuring timely completion of the 1,174 development schemes worth Rs20.9 million in different areas of the district, in order to benefit people.

He was presiding over a meeting of the committee in Attock on Sunday. MNA Sadiq said under the Annual Development Programme (ADP), development and welfare schemes should be completed within the stipulated time frame.

Timely utilisation of funds, released for development projects, must be ensured, he said, adding departments that fail to utilise funds will be questioned.

He said that transparency and timely completion of development projects is of utmost importance, since they have been launched for the welfare and betterment of the masses. “The government is the custodian of peoples’ hard-earned money. Therefore, embezzlement and irregularities in these projects will not be tolerated,” he said, adding that the government will further encourage government personnel who deliver and punish the ones who fail to perform their official duties.

Deputy Commissioner Dr Imran Hamid Sheikh, Member Punjab Assembly (MPA) Malik Jamshed Altaf, PTI District President Qazi Ahmad Akbar, PTI Focal Person Khawar Abbas Bokhari, Additional Deputy Commissioner (General) Asadullah Khan, Additional Deputy Commissioner (Revenue) Sheharyar Arif Khan, Chief Executive Officer (Education) Malik Mohsin Abbas, Chief Executive Officer (Health) Dr Jawad Elahi and local heads of provincial and district departments were also present.

Mr Bokhari said that DDCs were formed to ensure that relevant elected people of areas could coordinate with executing agencies of the schemes so they could be completed on time. The quality of work must not be compromised, he added.

Published in Dawn, June 14th, 2021