New PDA chief facing tough challenges

PESHAWAR: The new Director General (DG) Peshawar Development Authority (PDA) has tough challenges ahead to run and activate the civic body to cater to the needs of modern-day requirements.

Capt (R) Shehbaz Tahir Nadeem has been appointed the new DG, replacing Muhammad Ali Asghar whose appointment was challenged by the authority’s senior officers from the day of his appointment on January 20. He had replaced Saqib Raza Aslam, who also served on the post just for 40 days.

Saqib Raza was transferred and posted as DG on December 9, 2021, replacing Ammara Khan, who had been transferred to the Finance Department. Ammara Khan was posted as DG of the PDA in March 2021 serving there just for 10 months.

Cap (r) Shehbaz Tahir is the fourth DG in less than one year, which shows the provincial government’s level of interest in the affairs of PDA having the responsibility of executing mega housing schemes, roads and parks development and beautification of the provincial metropolis.

In addition, the PDA was tasked with executing the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) government flagship project, the Bus Rapid Transit (BRT), which had a stipulated time of six months for completion but unfortunately the project is yet to be completed after almost four and a half years. The DG not only has to deal with the work-shy employees of PDA but handle and ensure timely execution and completion of mega projects like the proposed New Peshawar city, finalising the BRT’s remaining work, including parking plazas, etc, the Warsak Road-Nasir Bagh section of the Northern Ring Road, launching construction work and giving possession to the allottees of decades-old Regi Model Town (RMT and provision of electricity, water, gas and other affiliated facilities to the Peshawar Media Colony (old name Durrani Media Colony), and an extension of RMT.

The RMT, a residential housing community of 27,000 plots capacity, was launched in the early 1990s but house construction and development has been started only in two zones of the town ship (Zone 3 & 4). The remaining three zones, 1, 2 and 5 are yet to be launched and possession certificates handed over to the allottees even after three decades.

The PDA’s inefficacy can be gauged from the fact that it could not develop a housing scheme in three decades as compared to the Defense Housing Authority (DHA) project opposite the RMT, where construction activities, development of roads, streets, provision of power and gas completed within three years of its launch.

On the other hand, the government seriousness about the development of provincial capital is evident from overburdening an under-capacity body with each and every mega uplift project.

The PDA has so far failed to provide electricity, water and gas to the 15-year old Media Colony that was launched in 2007, let alone other development work. Former DG Syed Zafar Ali Shah had initiated development activities in the colony with development of a park things once again came to a halt after his transfer.

Ex-DG Ammara Khan during a meeting with some senior journalists had issued directives for completing the remaining work in the colony including the provision of power, water, gas, etc but her directives either fell on deaf ears or she did not find time for the follow-up and the allottees constructing houses in the colony have to spent a huge amount on generators for arranging water for construction purposes. Plot owners in the RMT and Media Colony hope the new DG would revitalise the PDA, ensuring the provision of basic facilities in the hou-

sing communities.