Staff Reporter Peshawar
The 20th meeting of the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Highways Council held here on Tuesday under the Chairmanship of Chief Minister Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Mahmood Khan accorded conditional approval to the Annual Maintenance Plan of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Highways Authority (PKHA) for the financial year 2021-22, and PKHA high ups were directed to submit a detailed report on the funds allocated under the Maintenance Plan of the last financial year along with the maintenance work done.
The maintenance plan will cost Rs. 1672 million out of which Rs. 1200 million will be provided by the provincial government while Rs. 472 million will be provided by PKHA from its own resources.
Under the annual plan maintenance work will be ensured of about 3,000 km of roads and highways across the province, which include emergent works, rehabilitation of flood-affected roads, construction of new toll plazas, construction of field office for PKHA and other operational works.
After detailed discussion on PKHA’s proposed budget for the financial year 2021-22, the council recommended it to be presented to provincial cabinet for final approval.
The meeting decided in principle to make necessary amendments in the PKHA Act to authorize the Highways Council to approve the annual budget of PKHA on the analogy of other autonomous bodies of the provincial government, and the concerned authorities has directed to present the amendments to the provincial cabinet for consideration.
Besides, Provincial Cabinet Members Ishtiaq Urmer and Riaz Khan, the meeting was attended by Secretary Communication & Works, Principal Secretary to CM Amjad Ali Khan, MD PKHA and other members of the council.
The meeting decided to put in place an effective mechanism to control overloading of freight vehicles on PKHA-managed highways.
