SHANGLA: Several infrastructure and water projects approved for Shangla district in the last fiscal have yet to be executed despite the release of funds, documents show.

Work on these projects approved under the Sustainable Development Goals Achievement Programme 2021-22 was slated to get under way on July 23, according to a report of the Pakistan Works Department.

It said the SDGs Unit of the planning and development department released Rs369.28 million for those projects.

Under the programme, development funds were released for other districts as well.

Pak-PWD report says funds for schemes released in last fiscal

Lakki Marwat got Rs369.28 million, Shangla Rs388 million, South Waziristan Rs331.32 million and Tank Rs164.87 million, the report said.

It said the development schemes tendered in 2022 didn’t carry the name of places of execution.

The report said the funds were to be spent on the construction of jeepable tracks, PCC roads, retaining walls and water schemes in different union councils.

It said the schemes were to be completed in July 23 but the Pak-PWD had failed to ensure the execution of work on the schemes as they had yet to begin work.

The report said Rs888 million funds were released to the contractors for schemes in 28 union councils of the district.

It said Rs47 million was approved for various schemes in the union councils of Ranyal, Shahpur, Butyal, Damorai, Pir Khana and Kormang of Alpuri and Bisham tehsils but TMAs and residents were unaware of those schemes.

A source in the TMA Bisham told Dawn that none of the development projects approved for Bisham tehsil in the last fiscal had been executed.

When contacted, Shangla deputy commissioner Hassan Abid confirmed that the Pak-PWD had yet to initiate work on the federal government’s tendered development schemes approved under the Sustainable Development Goals Programme.

When contacted, the Shangla DC said he had been trying to reach out to the Pak-PWD executive engineer, whose office was located in Batkhela Malakand for the entire Malakand division, but he didn’t cooperate with the district administration.

“The Pak-PWD office in Batkhela is not helping us inspect work on schemes,” he said.

The Pak-PWD report named development schemes for all Shangla union councils of Alpuri, Besham, Puran, Chakesar, Kana and Martung tehsils but didn’t specify their exact location.

The district administration, tehsil municipal administrations, communication and works department also didn’t reveal the place of the schemes’ execution.

Published in Dawn, August 3rd, 2023