PESHAWAR: The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government on Tuesday decided to launch a special sanitation programme at the village level across the province at the cost of Rs5.5 billion.

The decision about the programme was made during a meeting of the local government and rural development department here with Chief Minister Ali Amin Khan Gandapur in the chair, according to an official statement.

The other participants included cabinet members, the chief secretary, administrative secretaries of the relevant departments, and officials of the local government department.

Mr Gandapur termed the initiative a significant step towards improving sanitation services to ensure cleanliness across village councils at rural areas of the province.

In the first phase, the programme will be implemented in 2,061 rural union councils with an initial estimated cost of Rs5.5 billion.

CM says initiative to ensure cleanliness, provide jobs to thousands of people

During the briefing, it was informed that under the programme, a sanitation workforce of four individuals per union council will be hired on a daily wage basis through a transparent recruitment process. This workforce will be responsible for door-to-door collection of solid waste and its transportation to the designated collection points managed by tehsil municipal administrations. Every union council will initially be provided with one loader vehicle and other necessary equipment for waste collection and sanitation.

The programme’s implementation will be supervised by the respective assistant commissioner, tehsil municipal officer and assistant director (local government).

The participation of elected local government representatives and relevant committees will also be ensured to enhance the programme’s success. Also, an effective monitoring mechanism will be established to oversee its execution.

The meeting was informed that the programme will be formally launched immediately after approval in the upcoming provincial cabinet meeting. In the second phase, the programme will be extended to union councils in the hilly regions of the province.

About the significance of the initiative, the chief minister said that it was a signature programme of the provincial government.

“For the first time in the history of the province, sanitation services are being introduced in rural areas. I hope that the programme will be formally launched by August 14 this year,” he said.

Mr Gandapur said that the initiative would not only ensure cleanliness in rural areas but also provide employment opportunities to thousands of people.

He directed authorities to take all necessary steps for timely implementation of the programme in accordance with the defined timelines.

The chief minister said that transparency and strict adherence to rules and regulations must be ensured in the recruitment of sanitation workers.

He said that a realistic and sustainable strategy should be devised to ensure the long-term continuity of the programme.

Meanwhile, the provincial government has officially launched a digital identity system, Khyber Pass.

A formal ceremony marking the inauguration of the system was held at the Chief Minister’s House on Tuesday, where Chief Minister Ali Amin Khan Gandapur formally launched the Khyber Pass digital platform.

The ceremony was attended by Special Assistant to the Chief Minister on Information Technology Shafqat Ayaz, members of the provincial cabinet and provincial assembly, and senior government officials.

According to the official statement, Khyber Pass is the first-of-its-kind digital identity system in Pakistan on the basis of a QR code mechanism. It will be integrated with Nadra and other government databases, enabling citizens to access all their identity-related information online. With this system, citizens will no longer need to repeatedly provide personal information to avail government services.

Through a single Khyber Pass digital account, residents will be able to access all public services offered by the provincial government.

The unified QR code will serve as a gateway to services such as health, education, taxation, licensing, property records and more, eliminating the need for multiple registrations or form submissions. Citizens will no longer have to visit different offices or wait in long queues, as services will be accessible online through a single digital ID.

Published in Dawn, July 9th, 2025