PESHAWAR, Dec 6: NWFP’s chief secretary on Tuesday formed a committee to prepare a plan for the reconstruction phase in quake-affected areas. The committee, headed by the additional chief secretary along with the vice chancellor of Peshawar’s University of Engineering, has been advised to draw professional expertise from the university while making plans.

The committee has also been assigned the task of devising a building code in collaboration with the university’s experts in Peshawar.

These decisions were taken in a high-level meeting chaired by the provincial chief secretary. Matters relating to the reconstruction phase of damaged government buildings were also discussed.

The meeting decided that a building code would be devised and adhered to in all sorts of constructions in future.

The additional chief secretary, Mir Liaq Shah, vice-chancellor of the University of Engineering and Technology Syed Imtiaz Hussain Gilani, administrative secretaries of health, planning and development, works and services, higher education, local government and the special secretary for schools and literacy attended the meeting.

It was observed in the meeting that the government buildings were badly damaged in the recent earthquake, which is an ample proof of the fact that building standards were not followed.

HOSPITAL UPGRADED: Provincial Senior Minister Sirajul Haq will inaugurate the newly constructed building of the Civil Hospital in Dargai on Dec 13.

The hospital has been upgraded to a 110-bed capacity and designated a category C hospital to be completed in three years at a cost of Rs130 million.

The hospital has been provided ten specialties — including surgery, medical, gynea, children, eye, ENT, orthopaedic, chest and radiology — and equipped with the latest medical instruments and facilities. It will also have additional medical experts and paramedical staff. — APP