PESHAWAR: Work is in progress on 60 different development schemes worth Rs687 billion under the external economic assistance in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.

According to a statement, Rs89 billion has been allocated for the schemes in the Annual Development Programme of the current fiscal year. A meeting held here on Wednesday with Chief Minister Mahmood Khan in the chair reviewed progress on the donor-funded projects.

The chief minister directed the quarters concerned to ensure timely completion of public welfare projects. He said that the projects on completion would have direct positive impacts on the lives of people.

The meeting was informed that Khyber Pakhtunkhwa cities improvement project was approved by Executive Committee of National Economic Council (Ecnec). It was told that Ecnec also cleared PC-I of Balakot hydropower project and bids were advertised for the first package of the scheme.

The meeting was informed that under Khyber Pakhtunkhwa provincial roads improvement project, seven roads in different districts had been completed whereas work on two roads was in progress. Similarly, under the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa integrated tourism development project, a master plan was approved to establish four tourism zones in different sites of the province.

Besides, feasibility study of Kumrat cable car project has also been completed. The participants of the meeting were told that 50 per cent work on dualisation of Swabi-Mardan Road was completed.

The expression of interest (EoI) has also been finalised for supervisory consultant of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa irrigated agriculture improvement project.

Under the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa hydropower and renewable energy programme, land acquisition for 88 megawatts Kalam-Gabral hydropower project is under way.

Published in Dawn, December 2nd, 2021