Progress on mega KP projects reviewed

PESHAWAR: A meeting here on Tuesday assessed progress on the flagship mega projects in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and their completion timelines.

An official handout said that Khyber Pakhtunkhwa caretaker Minister for Communications and Works and Irrigation Ahmad Jan Khan chaired the meeting on key infrastructure projects in the province. The meeting was held to discuss significant infrastructure projects being executed by the Communications and Works Department. Chief Engineer C&W North Engineer Shakir Habib, Additional Secretaries Riaz Khan and Fariha Malahat, Project Directors for various development initiatives, project consultants and other officials attended the meeting. The caretaker minister received detailed briefings on major development projects related to communications, works, rural development, link roads, their funding status, ongoing progress, and expected completion schedules. The meeting also discussed a substantial project designed to improve access to tourism destinations in the province. This initiative, managed by the C&W department, involves connecting primary tourism zones with new roads at a cost of $70 million in foreign funds and Rs3 billion ADP funding.

Additionally, a mega project focusing on the conservation and development of historical mosques and archaeological sites was introduced with developmental work already completed in some locations. The meeting covered the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Rural Accessibility Project, supported by the World Bank, aimed at linking rural and urban areas through road infrastructure. Under this initiative, 463 kilometres of rural roads, 305 kilometres of flood-affected roads, and 16 flood-affected bridges are under construction.Various complexes are being constructed in merged districts and several settled districts under the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Rural Investment Support Programme.

The C&W department has also completed 124 schemes, including the rehabilitation of 25 schools. During the discussion, the minister said that the government’s primary responsibility was to ensure that departments operated in accordance with established rules and regulations.