PESHAWAR, Aug 23: The provincial government has planned to spend Rs1 billion during the current fiscal on the construction of water courses in the province, and formed a steering committee for the purpose.

This was stated by Chief Minister Akram Khan Durrani during a meeting with the Chief Coordinator of the President of Pakistan on Water Channel lining, MNA Jehangir Tareen, here on Monday.

The committee, to be headed by Additional Chief Secretary Mir Laiq Shah, would be responsible for the management of the project. More than 1,000 people would be employed by the committee to carry out the project.

The chief minister directed the authorities concerned to start a work on the project and to advertise posts for this purpose. "It is our desire that President of Pakistan inaugurate this project in Dera Ismail Khan where we will brief him about small dams," he added.

Mr Jehangir Tareen disclosed on this occasion that the project would cost Rs66 billion in four years and it would be monitored by the provincial government.

AVM MEETS DURRANI: Mirza Zafar Hussain, Air Vice Martial, Pakistan Air Force, Northern Command, called on Chief Minister Akram Khan Durrani here on Monday. He remained with the chief minister for some time and discussed issues of common interest.