PESHAWAR: Announcing creation of zone-6 in Hazara Division, Chief Minister Mahmood Khan on Thursday inaugurated various development projects worth Rs. 210 million in Battagram.
The inaugurated projects include Maidan-Karwar road, Battagram Paimal Road, Kakarshang RCC bridge and two mini-hydro power projects having a total capacity of 550KV, said a handout.
Addressing a public gathering in Battagram, the chief minister announced to establish a new division in the name of “Abaseen” by splitting Hazara Division and creating zone-6 comprising few districts of Malakand and Hazara divisions. He said that the notification to give status of district to Allai tehsil would also be issued after local bodies elections.
Highlighting the priorities of his government, the chief minister said that health and education have been the priority sectors of the incumbent provincial government and curative steps were being taken to boost these sectors.
He said that the work was in progress on the upgradation and revamping of 35 district headquarters hospitals of the province.
Besides, he said that efforts were underway to overcome the shortage of doctors, paramedical staff and equipment in all the district headquarters hospitals.
New teaching staff was being recruited to fulfill the requirements of schools while Rs6 billion have been earmarked in the current budget for the provision of furniture to schools, he added.
The chief minister said that the government was also working to raise the standard of public sector schools. “Introducing uniform curriculum in the country is the extraordinary achievement of Prime Minister Imran Khan which will be helpful in eliminating discrimination among students in the country,” he added.
He said that another unique project “Education Card” would soon be launched to provide financial assistance to talented and deserving students of the province.
The incumbent government was taking measures to overcome the recent wave of inflation and to give relief to the general public, he said, adding, “Ehsaas Food Card” would be launched shortly.
He added that at present multiple development projects worth Rs7 billion were in progress in Battagram district, whereas more development schemes would be initiated in the district within the next two years.
Coming down hard on the opposition, the chief minister said that the current inflation was the result of flawed economic policies of the previous incompetent rulers.
The incumbent government paid $21 billion as interest on the loans borrowed by the previous rulers.
“Bilawal Bhutto Zardari held a public gathering in Peshawar the other day but he could not gather even 3000 people from all over Pakistan,” he added.
He lamented that people of Sindh do not even have clean drinking water and chief minister Sindh was holding a public gathering in Peshawar.
He said that the so-called politicians who were declaring Imran Khan “selected” were themselves incompetent and selected.
Mahmood Khan said that the people of this province had expressed their full confidence in PTI during the general elections of 2013 and 2018.
