PESHAWAR: Chief Minister Mahmood Khan has directed the authorities concerned to take steps for timely completion of PC-Is, feasibility and other prerequisites of the projects to be proposed for inclusion in Public Sector Development Programme 2022-23.

The chief minister said that the prerequisites of all those projects should be completed and forwarded to relevant federal forum before March 2022, according to a statement issued here on Sunday.

He also directed the officials concerned to devise a mechanism for close liaison with the relevant federal entities to ensure inclusion of important projects of the province in the next PSDP.

The chief minister said that mega projects of public importance for all the four regions and the newly merged districts should be identified for inclusion in the next PSDP.

He issued the directives while chairing a meeting regarding projects to be proposed for inclusion in PSDP 2022-23. Provincial Minister Akbar Ayub Khan, Additional Chief Secretary Shahab Ali Shah, Principal Secretary to Chief Minister Amjad Ali Khan, administrative secretaries of the relevant departments and other officials attended the meeting.

The chief minister said that necessary steps should be taken to include those mega projects, which couldn’t be reflected in the current PSDP, in the next PSDP. He added that all the projects to be proposed for next PSDP must be cleared from Provincial Development Working Party by December this year.

He also directed the authorities concerned to focus on projects for development of command area of completed dams, Peshawar-DI Khan Motorway, dualisation of road from Indus Highway to Bannu, construction of road from Madyan to Kalam and other projects of public importance.

He said that a mega project for establishment of economic zones in the province should be planned for inclusion in the next PSDP.

The meeting was informed that a field office was set up in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa House Islamabad for close coordination with federal ministries and divisions to ensure inclusion of projects proposed by the provincial government in PSDP.

The focal persons of the departments concerned have also been notified in this regard. Meetings are being held on regular basis with federal authorities to ensure timely completion of the process for getting the priority projects of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa reflected in the next PSDP.

Published in Dawn, July 12th, 2021