Upcoming ADP: Proposed projects in health, education discussed

PESHAWAR: The second round of meetings about the draft Annual Development Programme 2024-25 on Tuesday proposed schemes of Health, Elementary and Secondary Education and Agriculture departments to be reflected in the next ADP.

An official handout said Chief Minister Ali Amin Gandapur chaired the meetings that also reviewed progress on the ongoing uplift projects. Cabinet members, including Syed Qasim Ali Shah, Muhammad Sajjad Barakwal, Faisal Khan Tarakai and Barrister Muhammad Ali Saif, Additional Chief Secretary Syed Imtiaz Hussain Shah, administrative secretaries and other high-ups of the departments concerned attended the meetings.

While issuing policy directives about the formulation of a new ADP, the Chair directed the officials not to propose such development schemes that could not be completed for years, and to keep the ADP realistic keeping in view the financial position of the province. The Chair directed them to propose such schemes for the new ADP that could benefit the people.

The chief minister termed Education and Health as priority sectors of his government and said that development funds would be allocated for these sectors on priority basis. Ali Amin Gandapur stressed the need to focus on the provision of basic amenities to the people of underdeveloped areas of the province, including the merged districts. He asked the authorities concerned to fix realistic timelines for the implementation of developmental schemes and ensure physical progress as per the given timelines and made it clear that unnecessary delay in the implementation of developmental schemes would not be tolerated. The chief minister directed the high-ups of the Health Department to focus on improving service delivery in the existing health facilities instead of constructing new buildings. He directed the officials to strengthen the health units in far-flung areas to benefit the local people.

Ali Amin Gandapur directed the Health Department to propose a project for the establishment of a Command and Control Centre to monitor service delivery in public sector hospitals in the province. He directed them to improve service delivery and propose schemes for the establishment of Gamma Knife Radiosurgery Centre to facilitate cancer patients. He directed the Health Department to propose initiatives for the treatment of thalassemia and hemophilia patients. He directed the officials to reflect the inclusion of Air Ambulance Service in the upcoming ADP so that the service could be started.

About the agriculture sector, the Chair stressed the need for modern research to increase the per acre yield of crops and directed the authorities to take steps. The Chair directed the high-ups of the Agriculture Department to propose schemes to promote olive and saffron cultivation in the suitable areas of the province. He added that projects for the construction of small check dams should be proposed for efficient utilization of rainwater.

With regard to the Elementary and Secondary Education sector, the chief minister directed the authorities to incorporate the provision of free school bags to schoolchildren in the existing project of free textbooks.