Staff Reporter Peshawar
A meeting to review progress on foreign funded developmental projects and to discuss new projects to be initiated in next two years under foreign funded program was held here on Monday with Chief Minister Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Mahmood Khan in the chair.
The meeting agreed to initiate multiple projects in various sectors including economic revival, employment opportunities, poverty alleviation and communications sectors under foreign funded program.
Federal Minister for Economic Affairs Umar Ayub, Provincial Cabinet Members Shaukat Yousafzai, Taimur Saleem Jhagra, Akbar Ayub, Riaz Khan and high officials of federal and provincial government attended the meeting.
While briefing the forum about external funded projects, it was told that a total of 23 developmental projects in different sectors were in progress in the province with estimated cost of 2618 million dollers.
These aforementioned projects included KP Hydro Power & Renewable Energy, FATA Infrastructure Project, KP Education Sector Program, KP Reconstruction Program, Khyber Pass Economic Corridor, KP Integrated Tourism Project, Social Health Protection and others.
It was further informed that a total 0f 27 projects in various sectors worth 2451 million $ were in pipeline.
The said projects included Balakot Hydro Power Development, Kurram Tangi Water Resources Project, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Cities Improvement project, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Rural Roads Development Project, Mohmand Hydro power project, Rural Economic Transformation Project and others.
The forum was apprised that in the next two years, projects for construction of 5,000 Km farms to market roads, strengthening of irrigation system and construction of irrigation channels projects would be launched.
It was further told that cold storage would be set up for preservation of fruits and vegetables.
On the occasion, the forum decided that soft loans would be provided to small business owners with the aim to create maximum job opportunities and alleviate poverty in the province.
Moreover, multiple projects of drinking water supply would be launched in order to provide clean drinking water to both urban and rural set-ups of the province.
The forum decided that the provincial government would identify developmental projects in those sectors and share the same with Economic Affairs Division for onward processing.
It was agreed in the meeting that construction of hydro power projects and promotion of tourism in merged areas would be focused while a major project would be launched to strengthen/ improve transmission and distribution of power system in merged areas.
The meeting was told that Cities Improvement Project would be initiated in order to ensure provision of civic facilities to the most populous districts of the province.
During the meeting, it was decided that a monthly review meeting would be held of provincial departments and concerned federal entities to ensure practical progress on those proposed projects.
