Staff Reporter
Peshawar
Chief Minister (CM) Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP), Mahmood Khan on Monday said accelerated development of the newly merged districts (NMDs) is top priority of both federal and provincial governments. He made these remarks while addressing a meeting to review progress of the development schemes launched in the merged districts sunder Annual Development Programme (ADP).
A presentation on the so far progress made on the developmental schemes was given in the meeting, initiated in various sectors including Elementary and Secondary Education, Higher Education, Health, Agriculture, Sports and Tourism, Energy and Power, Irrigation and Water Supply etc. Besides Additional Chief Secretary, Principal Secretary to Chief Minister and concerned administrative secretaries, the meeting was attended by other relevant high ups.
The chief minister directed the concerned high ups to pay special attention to the timely completion of all developmental schemes initiated in the NMDs under the Accelerated Implementation Plan (AIP) and to take all the necessary steps to this effect. He said unnecessary delay or negligence in the completion of these projects would not be tolerated, adding that strict actions will be taken against those who did not meet the given time lines for the completion of their tasks. Stressing the need to further improving pace of progress on these schemes, the Chief Minister directed the quarters concerned to convene separate meetings of all the departments to have a detailed review of the progress on the developmental schemes individually. Mahmood Khan directed the concerned authorities to fill up all the vacancies lying vacant in the NMDs and to prepare SNEs for the creation of new vacancies where ever required. He further directed the high ups to take necessary steps on priority to ensure implementation of Prime Minister’s directives regarding various developmental schemes in the NMDs; and to prepare PC-Is of the proposed developmental schemes for the approval of competent forum.
The meeting was informed that 68 per cent of the funds released during the last financial year, whereas 88 per cent released under the current financial year for the developmental projects of NMDs under the AIP were utilized. It was further informed that 76 per cent of the funds released for the up-gradation of grid stations, 88 per cent funds released for the establishment of Rescue 1122 stations and 91 per cent released for Insaaf Rozgar Scheme in the NMDs were utilized so far. The Chief Minister directed to convene a meeting of all the concerned Deputy Commissioners to resolve issues of land acquisition for some of the developmental schemes in the merged districts. Addressing the participant, the Chief Minister reiterated the resolve that as per the vision of Prime Minister Imran Khan, completion of all the AIP schemes would be ensured at any cost, adding that all promises made to people of the merged areas would be fulfilled and all the resources would be utilized for the purpose.
