PESHAWAR: Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Mahmood Khan on Friday directed authorities to ensure an early start of work on the Dir Motorway saying the project is a major move towards sustainable development of the district and adjacent areas.

“Authorities should avoid delays in the execution of the project. All prerequisites, including land acquisition, should be completed as per the stipulated timelines for the start of the civil work,” Mr Mahmood told a meeting at the Chief Minister’s House that examined progress on the Dir Motorway.

The chief minister said that his government had not only taken “visible” steps to align the social services’ sectors with contemporary needs but also spent billions of rupees to strengthen revenue generating sectors with a special focus on road network.

He said that the main objective of those measures was to bring about a positive change in the people’s life for which all available resources had been utilised in an effective manner.

“Once these projects are completed, the province will become a transit corridor for regional trade and commerce activities,” he said.

Says project to ensure sustainable uplift of district, adjoining areas

According to an official statement issued here, the 30km four-lane Dir motorway will be built from Chakdara Interchange in Malakand to Baroon area of Lower Dir district via Ramial and Och villages with 50 meters right of way. It will have 625 meters long twin tube tunnel and two single tube tunnels with the total length of 6,320 meters.

Regarding progress on the Dir Motorway project, the meeting was told that the commercial and financial feasibility study had been approved, whereas financial evaluation of the bid received had been completed.

Also, the process for land acquisition has been initiated in coordination with the district administration.

“The project will play an important role in development and prosperity of the region. It was the long-standing demand of people due to which the provincial government has decided to launch the project despite multiple challenges,” the chief minister told the meeting.

Mr Mahmood said that the provincial government had made every possible effort to develop poor areas of the province on the sustainable basis.

“Despite financial difficulties, we [PTI government] launched multiple development projects in the province,” he said.

Published in Dawn, January 21st, 2023