KP CM Mahmood Khan calls for introducing e-tendering system in PDA

PESHAWAR: The 4th board meeting of Peshawar Development Authority (PDA) on Friday approved extension of BRT feeder routes to Warsak Road, Regi Lalma Township and Defense Housing Scheme in order to facilitate the general public to the maximum.

Chaired by Chief Minister Mahmood Khan, the meeting also gave a go ahead to the PDA for acquiring the required land for shifting the existing truck stand on GT Road out of the city, said a handout.

Provincial ministers Taimur Saleem Jhagra, Akbar Ayub, MPA Pir Fida Muhammed and administrative secretaries of the departments concerned, commissioner Peshawar, Director General PDA and other relevant authorities attended the meeting.

The chief minister directed the quarters concerned to introduce e-tendering, e-bidding and e-billing system in PDA. He also asked the officials concerned to ensure the holding of all board meetings, including the PDA board meeting, after each three months on a regular basis.

The chief minister also directed the high ups of PDA to ensure physical progress on all the development projects of the authority, including Peshawar Model Town, shifting the existing bus stand out of the city and construction of the missing links of the northern section of Ring Road as per the given timelines.

Mahmood Khan asked the authorities concerned for necessary measures to protect agricultural lands in the vicinity of Peshawar by stopping construction activities.

The board meeting approved the construction of a new bus stand at Sardar Ghari in the outskirt of Peshawar to shift the existing general bus stand out of the city with the aim to minimize the pressure of heavy traffic inside the city. The meeting was given a briefing about the master plan of the proposed bus stand and it was told that PC-1 of the project would be finalized by the second week of next month whereas ground breaking of the project is expected by the end March this year. Similarly, the meeting also accorded approval to start work on the construction of the missing link of the northern section of Ring Road. The 8.7 kilometers long missing link from Warsak Road to Nasir Bagh will be constructed at an approximate cost Rs17.4 billion including the land cost. The chief minister while assuring full funding for the project directed the concerned authorities to ensure the completion of this project of great public importance in one year's time period.

The board meeting agreed to the proposal of constructing a clover leaf intersection at the junction of GT Road and Ring Road on the entrance of Peshawar. Similarly, creation of a dedicated Traffic Engineering Directorate under the PDA was also approved by the board with the aim to streamline the traffic system of the city and ensure smooth flow of vehicular

traffic. The meeting approved budget estimates 2020-21 and revised budget estimates 2019-20 of PDA besides approving special conveyance allowance for the disabled employees of the authority @Rs.1000 per month already admissible to the disabled employees of provincial government.