Development of merged districts priority: KP CM

PESHAWAR: Chief Minister Mahmood Khan has said that accelerated development of the Newly Merged Districts (NMDs) is a priority of both the federal and provincial governments.

He directed the relevant officials to pay special attention to the timely completion of all developmental schemes initiated in the NMDs under the Accelerated Implementation Plan (AIP).

He was chairing a meeting held here on Monday to review progress on the developmental schemes launched in the NMDs under the Annual Development Programme, with special focus on the initiatives launched under the AIP.

The meeting was given a presentation on the progress so far made on the developmental schemes initiated in various sectors including Elementary and Secondary Education, Higher Education, Health, Agriculture, Sports and Tourism, Energy and Power, Irrigation and Water Supply, etc.

Stressing the need for further improving the pace of progress on these schemes, the chief minister directed the quarters concerned to convene separate meetings of all the departments to have a detailed review of the progress on the developmental schemes of these departments individually.

The meeting was informed that 68% of the funds released during the last financial year, whereas 88% of the fund released under the current financial year for the developmental projects of NMDs under the AIP were utilized.

It was further informed that 76% of the funds released for the upgradation of grid stations, 88% of the funds released for the establishment of Rescue 1122 stations and 91% of the funds released for Insaaf Rozgar Scheme in the NMDs were utilized so far.