PESHAWAR: The Provincial Development Working Party (PDWP), in its ninth meeting held under the chairmanship of Additional Chief Secretary, Planning and Development Department, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Ikramullah Khan, approved a series of development projects aimed at improving infrastructure, education, health, and social welfare across the province.
One of the flagship initiatives approved is the Ehsaas Hunar Program, a Rs. 3 billion project designed to provide interest-free loans of up to Rs. 500,000 to skilled youth for starting their own businesses. This program is set to benefit over 35,000 skilled individuals across Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, fostering employment and economic growth.
In addition, the PDWP approved a Rs. 2.9 billion project for the reconstruction and rehabilitation of a 26-kilometer road from Arandu to Kalkatak Lowari in Chitral district, which will enhance connectivity and ease transportation in the region.
Other significant approvals included the improvement of flood protection structures in Swat and adjacent rivers, rehabilitation of CRBC and Paharpur Canal System in Dera Ismail Khan, and feasibility studies for solar lift irrigation schemes across the province.
The forum also approved Establishment of a Government College of Commerce in Duggar, Buner; reconstruction of the Agriculture Research Institute (ARI) in Mingora, Swat; upgrading Hayasrai Primary Health Center to a Category-D Hospital in Lower Dir; and construction of a Thalassemia Department at District Headquarters Hospital, Batkhela.
It also approved construction and rehabilitation of roads in South Waziristan, Tank, Batkhela, and Upper Chitral; purchase of land for cemeteries; and construction of model religious schools and computer labs in registered religious schools.
The PDWP also approved projects to enhance governance and research capacity, including the establishment of a Chief Minister’s Policy Office, a Sector Reforms Unit in the Public Health Engineering Department, and a Monitoring and Evaluation System for development projects. The meeting was attended by PDWP members and officers from various departments.
Copyright Business Recorder, 2024
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