KP govt sanctions road project

MANSEHRA: The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government has sanctioned 15-km Datta-Kotkay road to divert traffic from Abbottabad road to Mansehra-Naran-Jalkhad road to reduce the traffic burden on Mansehra city.

“The government has sanctioned Rs1.5 billion for construction of this 15-km long road and has released Rs250 million for the acquisition of the land,” MPA Babar Saleem Swati told reporters here on Saturday. He said the road was also included in the Annual Development Programme and work on it would start soon. “This road would reduce distance between Abbottabad and Mansehra and provide an alternative passage to tourists on the way to Kaghan valley from Punjab, Sindh and Balochistan,” said Swati.

He said the land acquisition process from Datta to Kotkay would shortly be undertaken as the funds were already released for the purpose. “The land survey for this road project has been completed and this is why following imposition of the Section 4 of the land acquisition would be started and landowners would be released payments,” said Swati. “The tendering process would be initiated as the land acquisition process is completed,” the lawmaker said.

Meanwhile, Laiq Mohammad Khan, Chairman of the District Development Advisory Committee of Torghar, approved the upgradation of the three girls school in the district. He said that the Government Girls High School Darbani would be upgraded to the Higher Secondary School to provide education opportunities to the girls, who quit school after matriculation.