PESHAWAR, Oct 19: NWFP Governor Syed Iftikhar Hussain Shah has said that the designing of approach roads at the proposed site of Lowari Tunnel has been started and practical work would be taken in hand after the completion of the technical studies.

He was speaking at the ground-breaking ceremony of dualization of Takhtbhai-Shergarh section of the Nowshera-Chakdarra-Chitral road at Takhtbhai in Mardan on Saturday.

The governor said a number of mega projects had been launched to develop a comprehensive communication network on concrete grounds in the province, which on completion would bring a pleasant change in the socio-economic conditions of the people of the province.

“No doubt, education and health remained our top priorities during the last three years, we have also never ignored other sectors, particularly the economic development of the people during this period,” he said.

The governor expressed the confidence that the future government and the elected representatives would also adopt realistic approach and make sincere efforts to mitigate the grievances of the masses.

However, he said, keeping in view the difficulties being faced by the people of this region, the government had not only launched work on different sections of this road, it also took the decision to construct the Lowari Tunnel, which, he added, was the most crucial part of this project.

The governor said that work on different sections of Khushalgarh-Kohat-Parachinar Road was also in progress.

He said that the federal government had also started work on a design for the construction of a bridge over the Indus River at Khushalgarh.

On the occasion, the governor accorded approval to the establishment of a degree college for girls at Takhtbhai and announced that all problems of staff shortage and lack of equipment at the local hospital would be resolved.

Later, the governor inspected the under-construction Mardan-Buner-Katlung-Sangao Road.

He was accompanied by Provincial Minister for Works and Services Shamsul Mulk and Secretary Safdar Hussain Awan.