PESHAWAR: Chief Minister Mahmood Khan has directed the relevant officials for taking necessary action to immediately stop unauthorised construction activities in Kalam, Kumrat and other tourist spots of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.

He also asked them to expedite work on the construction of access roads to tourist areas of Malakand, Hazara and southern districts.

The chief minister issued these directives while chairing a meeting to review progress on various initiatives of the government for boosting tourism activities in the province, said an official statement here on Sunday.

The meeting was informed that action was being taken to discourage and stop unauthorised construction activities in Kalam and Kumrat areas.

Asks officials to stop illegal construction activities in Kalam, other key spots

It was added that section 144 had been enforced, as the concerned TMAs had imposed ban on registry, issuance of NoCs and fresh constructions in those areas.

The chief minister directed the quarters concerned to carry out assessment survey of all the rest houses owned by various provincial departments so that suitable rest houses could be handed over to the tourism department for their use for promotion of tourism activities.

Taking notice of delay in implementation of certain tourism access-related road projects in Hazara division, the chair decided to constitute a committee comprising secretary tourism, secretary communications, secretary energy and other officials. The committee members would visit the site of those projects and come up with proposals within a month to be placed before the provincial cabinet for consideration.

About progress on the establishment of special purpose development authorities on tourist areas of the province, it was stated that a draft act had been cleared by the provincial cabinet to establish Kalam Development Authority on the pattern of Galiyat Development Authority, which would soon be tabled in the provincial assembly for enactment.

Similarly, board of directors has been notified for Kumrat Development Authority whereas its building codes and other related matters have been finalised and will be presented to the board for formal approval within a week. The meeting was informed that work was in progress on the establishment of Kalash Development Authority.

It was stated that considerable progress had been made on construction of various roads for promotion of tourism in Malakand division whereas work on two roads to the historical tourist spot of southern districts, Shaikh Badeen, was alsounderway.

Published in Dawn, November 29th, 2021