Developing infrastructure: K-P outlines plan for extensive road links for rural areas

Preparing feasibility study for construction of RCC bridge over <br /> Kabul River.

PESHAWAR: The Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa (K-P) government has planned 153 new communication projects for the current fiscal year with special focus on the completion of 436 kilometers of roads and 20 RCC bridges.

The government will spend Rs40.7 billion on new projects under the Annual Development Programme (ADP) 2014-15, besides accelerating efforts to complete 81 ongoing projects with allocation of Rs5.5 billion for the current fiscal year to bring less developed areas at par with developed ones.

The government is also focusing on a feasibility study and construction of an RCC Bridge on Kabul River at Kishti Pul, Nowshera besides the extension of blacktopping of the Dagger to Gokand Road.

Work on the rural road rehabilitation project assisted by Japan International Cooperation Agency (JCIA) would be expedited for providing a sustainable road chain in rural areas. The department of Works and Services, with assistance from JICA, will execute a mega project wherein it will construct 478 kilometers of roads and 11 bridges in the province by 2015.

After completion, these projects would invite investment in far-flung areas and accelerate pace of development, especially in remote areas.

Rehabilitation of roads that have outlived their life is also planned in addition to the construction of missing road links and preparation of an asset management plan for the provincial road sector to bolster trade and investment.

Published in The Express Tribune, July 8^th, 2014.