CM Mahmood Khan for work on communication sector projects expedited

PESHAWAR: Chief Minister Mahmood Khan on Monday directed the officials of the Communication and Works Department to expedite work on all ongoing mega schemes in the communication sector.

Presiding a meeting of the Communication and Works Department, the chief minister assured that the provincial government would provide required resources for the completion of projects in the province. Special Assistant to Chief Minister Riaz Khan and other officials attended the meeting, said a handout. Mahmood Khan particularly stressed the expeditious completion of financial and commercial feasibility studies of Swat Motorway Phase-II, Peshawar-Dera Ismail Khan Motorway and Dir Motorway so that the public could be facilitated through such mega-development projects as soon as possible.

He said that provincial government was committed to boosting industrial and tourism activities in the province for which different communication schemes had been initiated. The meeting was told that the Executive Committee of National Economic Council (ECNEC) had approved the acquisition of land scheme for Swat Motorway Phase-II whereas public-private partnership unit had recommended the financial and commercial feasibility of the project. It was also told that consultancy would be awarded next month for commercial and financial study of Dir Motorway. Similarly, financial and commercial feasibility of Peshawar-Dera Ismail Khan Motorway would be completed by next month. The meeting was apprised of the PC-II of 29 kilometres long road from Baba Sarai (Buner) to Katlang Interchange had been prepared and would be submitted to the relevant forum for approval.

The meeting was informed that under the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Integrated Tourism Development Project (KITE), work was in process on 50km long nine different access roads to tourist areas in Malakand division. Similarly, the construction of five access roads to tourist areas in Hazara division was also part of the current development portfolio whereas construction of 30km long approach road to Sheikh Badin tourist site had reflected in ADP 2020-21. The meeting was told that so far 33 developmental schemes in the road sector had been completed during the financial year 2019-20.

This time 114 schemes were due for completion in the road sector and Rs28522.0 million had been allocated for a total 507 schemes in current Annual Developmental Programme. Briefing about the progress made so far by Pakhtunkhwa Highways Authority, it was informed that the authority had constructed 170 km long new highways and 79 bridges. Similarly, dualization of various roads having the total length of 272 Km had also been done. In the current ADP, Rs1824.758 million had been allocated for 32 ongoing schemes of Pakhtunkhwa Highways Authority and Rs215 million had been allocated for six new schemes. Rs800 million has been allocated for five schemes under the Accelerated Implementation Program of merged areas.

The forum was also briefed about the reforms introduced by the communication and works department and told that e-bidding and e-billing system had already been introduced in the department whereas work on human resource development and restructuring of the C&W Department was in progress.