PESHAWAR: Chief Minister Ali Amin Khan Gandapur on Tuesday directed the authorities concerned to ensure the timely achievement of targets for all ongoing development projects by the end of the current fiscal year.
The chief minister was speaking at a meeting to review the progress of the Annual Development Programme (ADP) of the provincial departments. The marathon session lasting over seven hours was convened to assess the status of ongoing development projects across several key departments, including Higher Education, Health, Livestock, Agriculture, Revenue, and Communication and Works.
The meeting was attended by relevant cabinet members, the additional chief secretary (Planning), administrative secretaries of the concerned departments, and other senior officials. The administrative secretaries, in the meeting delivered a detailed briefing on the progress of projects under their respective jurisdictions.
Speaking on the occasion, the chief minister emphasised that while meeting deadlines is essential, there must be no compromise on the quality of work. Additionally, he instructed that 100 percent utilization of allocated development funds must be ensured before the close of the financial year.
Looking ahead to the next budget cycle, the chief minister stressed that top priority should be given to the timely completion of ongoing projects, particularly those that have achieved 80percent or more physical progress. Such projects, he said, should be completed without delay.
He further directed that proposals for new development projects must be rooted in broader public interest and designed to deliver long-term, sustainable benefits. Highlighting the importance of responsible financial stewardship, the chief minister stated that development funds were derived from public taxes and must be used judiciously, strictly for projects that provide direct and tangible benefits to the people.
He termed food security as a critical issue facing not only the province but the entire nation. He called for proactive and solid steps to address this challenge. He underlined the significance of the livestock sector in achieving food self-sufficiency and emphasized the need to modernize and restructure the sector to fully harness its potential.
In line with this, Ali Amin Gandapur instructed that projects proposed for the livestock sector in the next ADP should aim to enhance productivity and simultaneously create employment opportunities. He noted the vast untapped potential in both agriculture and livestock sectors and called for a comprehensive, well-coordinated strategy to realize this potential.
He also called for the adopting modern agricultural practices such as tunnel farming and vertical farming. He said that the importance of promoting agricultural research and implementing measures to conserve water resources.In the road infrastructure sector, the chief minister ordered the expedited completion of all schemes nearing finalization.
