Delay in safe city project irks CM

PESHAWAR:

Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Mahmood Khan has voiced his anger over the delay in the implementation of Peshawar Safe City Project and ordered a special meeting of all stake holders.

He issued these directives while chairing a meeting on Tuesday to review progress on mega development projects in various sectors across the province.

Additional Chief Secretary Shahab Ali Shah, Principal Secretary to Chief Minister Amjid Ali Khan, Administrative Secretaries of concerned departments and other relevant officials attended the meeting.

The CM criticized slow pace of work on the upgradation of Arbab Niaz Cricket Stadium and ordered suspending the concerned executive engineer and sub-divisional officer and to conduct enquiry against them.

He also directed stern action against the contractor, adding that action may also be initiated against the relevant officials of the sport department as per the findings of the Monitoring and Evaluation Unit.

Briefing the meeting about progress made so far on various developmental projects, it was informed that administrative approval had been accorded for the acquisition of land for 30km Dir Motorway Project and Section-IV would be imposed on the proposed land after the alignment of the project is finalized.

Similarly, work order for Patrak – Thall – Kumrat Road project would also be issued within the next one and half month.

Briefing about the development projects in health sector, it was informed that construction of Taimergarah Medical College had been completed, adding that classes would also be commenced from the new academic year. Besides, under the project revamping of non-teaching DHQ hospitals, procurement of equipment for the hospitals had been completed partially whereas outsourcing of various non-clinical services of these hospitals had also been completed.

Similarly, various healthcare facilities of merged areas have been outsourced which were now functional with emergency and OPD services.

Under the project for the establishment of 20 degree colleges in the province, sites have been identified for 18 colleges.

It was revealed that the PC-I for Timergarah Water Supply Scheme had also been cleared from PDWP and submitted to the planning commission of Pakistan for final approval. Regarding progress on water supply scheme, it was revealed that the Shakardara portion of Shakardara Water Supply Scheme would be completed by December this year.

The chief minister on the occasion directed the authorities to start physical work on Swat Motorway Phase-II Project within a week.

He also directed the secretary communication & works to visit the ongoing road projects in district Dir and submit a detail report to this effect.

He termed the Peshawar to DI Khan Motorway Project of vital importance for the development of southern districts and said that all available options would be utilized for the implementation of this mega project.

He also directed the officials of agriculture and live stock department to complete all the arrangements for commencement of classes in Live Stock University, Swat by September this year.

The CM directed the Senior Member Board of Revenue to initiate homework to give status of districts to Tehsil Wari and Tehsil Alai.

The chief minister further directed all the administrative secretaries to ensure completion of all ongoing projects within the stipulated timelines further directing them to start process for recruitment of staff and procurement of equipment for the projects hospitals, schools and colleges with 75 per cent physical progress on civil work of the projects.

The chief minister said that all administrative secretaries would have to perform as per the expectations of the government and people in order to ensure timely completion of the development projects of public welfare in the province.

“In case of the unnecessary delay in completion of development projects, the concerned administrative secretaries would be held accountable”, he added.

 

Published in The Express Tribune, July 27^th, 2022.