CM Mahmood Khan for Peshawar’s development

Transformation plan for provincial capital discussed

PESHAWAR: Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Mahmood Khan on Wednesday underlined the need to focus exclusively on infrastructure development of Peshawar as he called for taking immediate action to clear land and other issues hindering the provision of utilities and infrastructure to Regi Model Town.

He issued these directions while chairing a meeting on the Transform Peshawar Plan here at the Chief Minister’s House in Peshawar on Wednesday.

The meeting was briefed in detail about the Transform Peshawar Plan, key sectors including infrastructure development, traffic management, beautification, service delivery, recreation and sports, sanitation and drinking water, utilities (electricity and gas), and improvement of health and education facilities.

During the meeting, short, medium and long-term strategies included in the plan were discussed. The meeting was told that as a first step in the transformation plan, an integrated rolling plan had been proposed which will be refined and expanded with public and expert feedback.

The meeting was further briefed about new and ongoing Annual Development Programme (ADP) schemes along with allocation for current financial year and expenditures made so far in different sectors.

It was disclosed that work is in progress on developing and upgrading areas surrounding the Ring Road from Pajagai Road to Warsak Road in Peshawar under an ongoing ADP scheme worth Rs500 million. Of this, Rs60 million have been allocated in the current ADP.

Similarly, work on improving and widening a road from Mufti Mehmood flyover to old Budhni Bridge and up to Wahid Garhi is in progress. The scheme will cost Rs1.12 billion to complete, of which Rs847 million have been spent and a further Rs100 million have been allocated in current ADP. Moreover, Rs3.277 billion have also been spent on building the northern section of the Ring Road from Pajagai Road to Warsak Road. The total cost of the scheme will be Rs6.989 billion.

Regarding traffic infrastructure, the chief minister was told that a multi-storey parking plaza at Yadgar Chowk will be built at a cost of Rs600 million while a Parking Plaza at Namak Mandi will cost an estimated Rs800 million. Both projects have been included as new schemes in the ongoing ADP. CM Mahmood said that traffic has been a long-standing issue of Peshawar and that they have chalked out viable Master Plan for traffic management in the city.

Published in The Express Tribune, October 17^th, 2019.