Tuesday, May 6, 2008, Rabi-ul-Sani 29, 1429    

People’s consent necessary for uplift projects: Humayun

Peshawar— The NWFP Minister for Irrigation and Power, Engr Mohammad Humayun Khan has said that people had great expectations from their elected representatives and the consent of the people was necessary for every uplift scheme.

He directed all the Executive District Officers of Malakand to keep him fully informed of the developmental activities in the area so that the government could ensure its timely completion in line with the wishes of the people.

He was chairing a high-level meeting with all the EDOs of Malakand convened by him at the SHYDO Committee Room here on Monday. MPA Syed Muhammad Ali Shah Bacha also attended the meeting.

During the meeting the minister was briefed in detail on the completed, ongoing and new schemes in the ADP (2007-2008) in the education, health, communication and works, agriculture, tourism and industrial sectors. He was told that about 90 percent of the old ADP schemes had been completed and many of them needed to be inaugurated for the people.

The minister expressed with concern that in some of the schemes the concerned MPAs had not been taken the people of the area into confidence and strictly directed the EDOs not to indulge in politics that clashed with the interests of the people. He regretted that in some of the projects like construction of building for the Girls Higher Secondary School, Dheri Jolagram, the easily approachable building was ignored and new building constructed in such a site where the girls’ students had to face great difficulties. The minister asked for thorough probe into the matter.

Moreover, he also took notice of the non-availability of emergency drugs in most of the health centers in Malakand and directed that from now onwards the representatives of MPA and MNA should also be nominated in the drugs purchase committees besides district government. He also directed that class IV employees should not be posted at the stations situated at far off places from their hometowns and preference should be given to local people. The minister also asked for proper report on the completed schemes till next Monday. He said that the government would take strict action in cases where development budget had been utilized improperly. The meeting also discussed the proposed next-year ADP schemes and made certain amendments in the existing location of the development schemes for the larger interest f the general masses. —APP