PESHAWAR: Chief Minister Mahmood Khan here on Thursday directed the government departments to ensure completion of maximum number of mega development projects over next two years.

A statement issued here said that the chief minister chaired a review meeting on development projects that was attended by Senior Member Board Of Revenue (SMBR) Syed Zafar Ali Shah and other senior officials.

“Any kind of delay, laxity and negligence would not be tolerated in timely completion of development projects,” Mr Khan told the meeting.

The meeting was briefed about the progress on development projects across the province. It was told that work on first phase of the project of revamping 32 district headquarter hospitals was started that would be completed over next two years at a cost of Rs5 billion.

Meeting reviews progress on uplift schemes across KP

Another project of Rs1.7 billion for conversion of 200 basic health units into 24/7 facilities has been approved. In its first phase, Rs110 million has been released for conversion of 41 basic health units.

In addition to this, conversion of 50 rural health centres into 24/7 facilities has been approved at a cost of Rs1.2 billion. In its first phase, Rs110 million has been released for conversion of 25 rural health centres.

The meeting was told that in education sector, 160 schools had been identified for double shift classes while a project of Rs3.8 billion was approved for provision of missing facilities to government schools.

A project for establishment of cadet colleges in Haripur and Dir will be placed before the provincial development working party in its next meeting. In communication sector, land acquisition for Swat Motorway Phase-II is in progress while Peshawar-Dera Ismail Khan and Dir motorways projects have been cleared from central development working party.

Besides, 78 per cent work on 18-kilometre Dhamtor Bypass has been completed while work on construction of Thal-Mir Ali road is underway. The project will be completed at a cost of Rs5.8 billion.

The meeting was informed that a project worth Rs3 billion had been included in current Annual Development Programme for construction of Patrak-Thal-Kumrat road. Land acquisition for the construction of Chitral-Ayun-Bamburet and Chitral-Garam Chashma roads is also in progress.

Consultant has been hired for feasibility study and engineering design of Chashma Right Lift Bank Canal (CRBC).

Section 4 has been imposed for land acquisition to set up 300 megawatts Balakot hydropower project while land acquisition for Kalam-Gabral hydropower project is also in progress.

The meeting was told that consultant had been hired for 15 megawatts Madyan hydropower project while 2,343 mosques across the province had been solarised.

In the industries sector, construction of access road to Rashakai special economic zone has been completed while 90 per cent work on provision of utilities to the economic zone has also been completed.

A feasibility study is also being carried out for establishment of Bannu economic zone and PC-1 for the first phase of Darabin economic zone has been designed. The meeting was told that work on construction of 11 different.

Published in Dawn, August 27th, 2021