TAXILA: Member District Monitoring Committee and former provincial minister Jahangir Khanzada has said that a sum of Rs106.824 billion would be spent on the execution of 47 different road rehabilitation and improvement projects across the district in the current this year.

He expressed these views while addressing a public gathering after the inauguration of the rehabilitation of the Asghar village to Akhori village road on Monday.

PML-N Hazro chapter president Malik Ansar Ahmed, social and public figures Talal Ashraf Butt and Riaz Khan were also present on the occasion.

The 3.25km road would be completed at a cost of Rs10.5 million and would be completed during the current fiscal year.

“These link roads would not only provide better communication to people living in rural areas but also facilitate growers and farmers in transporting their cash crops to various markets as the area is known for producing quality vegetables and fruits,” he said.

Mr Khanzada was of the view that after the completion of the project, not only the general public but also farmers would be better able to access markets from farms and reduce their transportation costs.

The former minister said the government was giving priority to the road sector to ensure control of fatal accidents, flow of traffic and better travel facilities for commuters.

On this occasion, he directed the officials of the department concerned as well as those of the local administration that, besides completing the development projects on time, funds should be used transparently.

He warned that the use of substandard material in the execution of development projects, especially roads and infrastructure, would not be tolerated, and strict action would be taken against officials who indulged in corrupt practices.

Later, Mr Khanzada also performed the ground-breaking ceremony of the government girls primary school in Asghar village. The school would cater to the educational needs of hundreds of minor girls in Asghar and nearby villages, he added.

Speaking at the ground-breaking ceremony, the former minister said not a single school had been established in Hazro tehsil during the last four years as the provincial government had not taken practical steps for strengthening the education sector, especially at the primary level, and today the early education system was on the verge of collapsing due to paucity of facilities and a shortage of teaching staff.

He said the provincial government would use all its resources to strengthen the education and health sectors in Attock, especially in Chach area. He said the provision of basic amenities and the latest municipal services to the people was the top priority of the government.

Published in Dawn, April 23rd, 2024