CM Mahmood Khan wants Cities Improvement Project launched in six months

PESHAWAR: Chief Minister Mahmood Khan has directed the officials concerned to complete the preparations to ensure groundbreaking of Cities Improvement Project (CIP) by the end of this year.

He issued the directives while presiding over a meeting to review progress made so far on the project, said a handout. The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government is going to launch a project to improve and strengthen municipal infrastructures and services in five big cities - Peshawar, Kohat, Abbottabad, Mardan and Swat. The CIP is being launched with the financial assistance of the Asian Development Bank. A number of schemes would be executed in the selected cities to improve municipal services through enhanced municipal infrastructure and strengthened institutional capacities of municipal set-ups in these cities.

The chief minister directed the officials to complete the detailed engineering designs of all sub-projects under CIP so that practical work on these projects could be initiated as soon as possible. Earlier, the participants were informed that the replacement of water supply network, solid waste management system at Shamshatu, sewerage treatment plant at Kaneeza, development of Basie Park at Hayatabad Phase-VII, development of family areas, walking tracks, eateries and Bagh-e-Naran extension were the important schemes proposed for Peshawar City.

Mingora greater water supply scheme, solid waste management system and development of riverfronts, other green spaces on swat River and improvement of chowks and bazars of Mingora city, Behrain, Matta and Madyan were the proposed projects for Swat.

The projects for Mardan included solid waste management system at Chantar, sewerage treatment plant at Rorya, green initiatives on the Ring Road and tree plantation, etc.

82 arrested in Mardan during one month

The police in Mardan district have arrested 282 proclaimed offenders and recovered cache of ammunition and drugs in operations under the National Action Plan in the month of June, officials said on Thursday.

District Police Officer Mardan Dr Zahid Ullah Jan told reporters that 282 people were arrested and 27 AK-47 rifles, 24 Kalakovs, 50 rifles, 596 pistols and 38 dynamites and over 300 detonators were recovered during special operations in June.

The official said the cops have been directed to go after the proclaimed offenders, street criminals as well as those posing threat to the law and order of the district.

“The operations against drug dealers and mafias are also accelerated.

We have recovered 2090 grams of ice, 126kg hashish, 55kg opium as well as 2kg heroin and other drugs during the campaign,” said Zahid Ullah.

He said the police have been directed to facilitate the public when they visit police station and remain polite with every citizen but go aggressively against the criminals.