PESHAWAR, Aug 3: About Rs1.2 billion are being spent in the NWFP on  the reconstruction, widening, development and maintenance of the provincial highways and work on some projects has been started, the second meeting of the Frontier Highways Council was told on Saturday.

NWFP Governor Syed Iftikhar Hussain Shah presided over the meeting.

The meeting was informed that work on the dualization of Takhtbhai-Shergarh-Dargai road and the road from Kohat up to Indus Highway would be taken in hand during the current month. Rehabilitation of Indus Highway to Gumbat road; rehabilitation of Peshawar to Naguman road and reconstruction of Attar Sheesha to Brar Kot road in Mansehra district are being started in a few weeks.

The work on the dualization of Mardan-Takhtbhai road, improvement of Topi-Utla road, construction of Yar Hussain bridge on Adina-Chota Lahor road in Swabi district and the construction of four bridges on Khushalgarh-Kohat road was in progress, the meeting was informed.

Work on widening and metalling of 14km long Daratang to Punjab road, widening and rehabilitation of Timergara-Dir road, construction of link road from Indus  Highway to Bannu Township and construction of bridge over River Gambila near Lakki Marwat are expected to be started by December.

The meeting was informed that the Frontier Highway Authority was also responsible to keep the Nowhsera-Mardan-Chakdara-Chitral-Mastuj-Shandur road open and removal of slides, cutting of hillsides, repair of bridges and construction of causeways and retaining walls of the road.

The governor stressed the need for bringing procedural changes to make the authority a dynamic organization.

The meeting was also attended by Provincial Works and Services Minister Shamsul Mulk and Environment and Forests Minister Mohammad Abbas Khan.