PESJAWAR, June 29: Chief Minister Ameer Haider Khan Hoti on Wednesday performed the ground-breaking ceremony of Mufti Mehmood flyover that would link Jail Road to Bacha Khan Chowk here. The project, costing Rs1.77 billion, would be completed in two years and four months.

The flyover would facilitate the flow of traffic between Rehman Baba Chowk and Bacha Khan Chowk, said a handout issued here.

Speaking at the ceremony, which was attended by MNA Attaur Rehman, provincial ministers and MPAs, the chief minister said that Maulana Mufti Mehmood had rendered great services for the province and that was why the project was named after him. He directed the Peshawar Development Authority to ensure that the people did not face difficulty with regard to flow of traffic in the project area.

Mr Hoti said that his government wanted to launch more projects to facilitate people, adding that construction work of Benazir Hospital in Peshawar would be started in the fiscal year 2011-12. He said that Charsadda Road would be linked to Warsak Road via Pajgai and work on this project, costing Rs830 million, would start this year.

He said that the provincial government in consultation with other political parties would go ahead to uncap the net hydel profit for launching hydel projects in the province.

The chief minister said that during the past few years, the province was receiving Rs250 million as oil and gas royalty while this year it would be paid Rs15 billion under this head.

Referring to the development of Peshawar city, he said that a comprehensive plan had been devised and Rs8 billion alone would be spent on development of communication sector.

The projects to be implemented under the plan include Arbab Sikandar Flyover, Mufti Mehmood Flyover, and flyovers and underpasses at Phase-3 Hayatabad intersection, Spin Jumaat intersection, Islamia College, Iqra Chowk, GT Road at Jinnah Park intersection, Machni Chowk at Khyber Road, Jamurd Road at Board intersection, Tehkal Payan intersection, Haji Camp intersection, Dean Plaza intersection, City Circular Road at Ramdas, Lahori and Ganj.

The chief minister recalled that late Wali Khan and Mufti Mehmood had struggled jointly for the restoration of democracy and rights of Pakhtuns. Mr Hoti said that it was a pride for him that he approved development projects after the names of those personalities who had rendered services for the people of this province. He said that work on the construction of 4 km dual carriageway leading to Jamrud Road was in progress. He said that as a pilot project, solar lighting system would be installed along the proposed carriageway.

The ground-breaking of the Mufti Mehmood flyover was earlier performed in September 2007 by former chief minister Akram Khan Durrani, but the project could not take off.— Bureau Report