MUZAFFARABAD, Jan 31: AJK Prime Minister Sardar Sikandar Hayat Khan on Wednesday warned against “personal likes and dislikes” in the development schemes being launched under the Rural Development Programme.

The benefits of the schemes must be passed on to the public, he said, while presiding over a meeting of the local government coordination council to review the programme.

The meeting was attended among others by the minister for local government and rural development (LG&RD), Raja Nisar Ahmed Khan; Chief Secretary Mohammad Naeem Khan, Additional Chief Secretary (development) Sardar Abdur Rasheed Khan and LG&RD Secretary Sardar Riaz Ahmed Khan.

The prime minister made it clear that he would not tolerate any slackness and negligence regarding the projects. “The officials and employees of the local government must improve their working and try to change the prevailing atmosphere of dissatisfaction about them in the public.”

Mr Khan asked the government departments to give due weight to the recommendations of public representatives and prepare proposals about public utility projects without any discrimination.

Calling for an effective monitoring system, he directed the officials concerned not to allot work to those contractors, who had earned bad professional reputation.

He said preference should be given to the construction of suspension bridges and widening and metalling of roads. He announced that he would pay surprise visits to the sites of the schemes.

Briefing the meeting, LG&RD Director Khawaja Saleem Bismil said development schemes worth Rs375 million would be initiated in 28 constituencies of Azad Jammu and Kashmir under the second phase of the Rural Development Programme. An amount of Rs300 million had been allocated for the construction of new roads, Rs50 million for the construction of suspension bridges and Rs25 million for the completion of the ongoing projects, he added.

Apart from supervising roads and bridges, the department would monitor all other projects of public utility, he said, adding that the monitoring system would be strengthened for up-to-the-mark construction and timely completion of the projects.

The meeting was informed that of the Rs375 million, the department had received Rs100 million, while it expected to receive the remaining amount by June.