Land acquisition process for Dir Motorway started, meeting told

PESHAWAR: A progress review meeting was told on Friday that the land acquisition process of Dir Motorway had been initiated in coordination with district administration of Lower Dir.

Chief Minister Mahmood Khan presided over the meeting. The meeting was informed that the commercial and financial feasibility study of the project had been approved whereas the financial evaluation of the bid received had also been completed.

The 30-km Dir Motorway project would be constructed from Chakdara interchange. The project consists of four lanes (2 lanes each side) with 50 meters right of way and would also have a 625-meter-long twin tube tunnel and two single tube tunnels with a total length of 6320 meters.

The chief minister directed the authorities concerned to expedite the progress on the project and termed it as a major initiative towards sustainable development of Lower Dir, Upper Dir and adjacent areas.

Mahmood Khan urged the authorities to avoid delays in the implementation of the project, adding that all prerequisites, including the land acquisition process, be completed as per the stipulated timelines so that the civil work on the project can be initiated. The chief minister said that the project would play an important role in development and prosperity of the region.

It was the long-standing demand of people due to which the provincial government has decided to launch the project despite multiple challenges, he remarked.

The chief minister made it clear that the provincial government had made every possible effort to develop the backward areas of the province on a sustainable basis. Despite financial difficulties, he said, multiple projects have been launched for this purpose. “The main objective is to bring about a positive change in the life of the people for which all available resources have been utilized in an effective manner,” he added.

The chief minister maintained that his government had not only taken visible steps to align the sectors of social services with contemporary needs, but had also spent billions of rupees on strengthening the revenue generating sectors with special focus on the road network. Once completed, he added, the province would become a transit corridor for regional trade and commerce activities.