PESHAWAR, Dec 23: Federal Minister for Political Affairs Amir Muqam on Saturday inaugurated PTV’s Re-broadcasting Station in Dasu and Pattan areas of the Kohistan district. The station has been completed at a cost of Rs40 million.

Over 40,000 people will benefit from it as they would watch the PTV's programmes more clearly. Speaking at a ceremony marking the opening of the station, Mr Muqam said the government had given unprecedented freedom to the media and the station would help promote national heritage and culture of the area, besides providing excellent educational, entertainment and informative programmes to the area people.

The minister claimed that the country was marching on the road to progress and development under the leadership of President Gen Pervez Musharraf and Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz. The fruits of the booming and growth-oriented economic agenda of the government, he said, had started to reach the people.

Referring to the Diamer-Basha Dam, Mr Muqam said it would change the destiny of the people as it had the potential to irrigate thousands of acres of barren land, besides generating electricity which was badly needed in the country.

He said the reconstruction in the quake-hit areas had already been started and many developmental projects worth billions of rupees would be completed in the affected districts of the NWFP during the on-going reconstruction process.

Mr Muqam, who is also the provincial president of the PML, criticised the opposition, accusing it of deceiving the people because of what he called its vested agenda. He said the people were now politically mature and they would not pay any heed to opposition’s catchy slogans.

The minister said the government was committed to taking all possible steps to bring about a visible change in the lives of the people. He announced that electricity and gas would be provided to every house in the Kohistan and Bisham districts.

Later, the minister inaugurated an electricity supply project completed at a cost of Rs3.5 million in the area.

He also announced opening of three utility stores and an electric transformer for the area.—APP