PESHAWAR, Nov 28: Governor Syed Iftikhar Hussain Shah has disclosed that Rs 420 million are being spent under the Frontier Highway Authority on dualization of Mardan-Dargai section of Nowshera-Chakdara-Chitral highway.

He was speaking at the inauguration of work on the dualization of  Shergarh-Dargai section of the NCC highway at Dargai on Wednesday.

This portion of the highway will be completed in 15 months with an estimated cost of Rs 180 million.

The provincial government has diverted a bulk share of its budget to the construction of the highway, the governor said, hoping that the FHA would carry out the project without compromising on the quality of the work.

He also disclosed that under a phased programme the highway would be redeveloped up to Khwazakhela and Bisham and on the other side to Kalam. It would become a modern highway, which would improve the living standard of the people, he added.

Syed Iftikhar Hussain Shah said the Malakand-III project would  prove  a great breakthrough in  the  socio-economic development of the area. He said an agreement had been signed with a Chinese construction firm and civil work of the project would soon begin.

He said the civil work of the project would be completed with a cost of Rs 2.2 billion. He also said the project would not only generate electricity but also provide water to irrigate thousands of acres of land.

Establishment of an industrial estate in Malakand to be run with cheaper electricity, which would be generated from the project, was also under consideration, he said.

Regarding Lowari Tunnel, the governor said, its technical study was in the final stages and on completion it will help to strengthen the socio-economic conditions.

Maulana Inayatur Rahman, MNA, District Nazim Malakand Engineer Mohammad Humayun Khan, District Nazim Mardan Haji Raza Khan, local Nazimeen and elite of the area were present on the occasion.