KP CM expresses satisfaction over progress on development activities in merged districts

PESHAWAR: Chief Minister Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Mahmood Khan has expressed his satisfaction over the progress made so far on developmental activities and reforms initiatives in the newly merged districts.

He directed health, education and police departments to develop their work plans with regard to the requirements of infrastructure and human resources in merged districts.

He was presiding over a meeting of provincial task force on merged areas at Chief Minister Secretariat on Tuesday.

Provincial Ministers Taimur Salim Jhagra, Shoukat Yousafzai, Anwarzeb, Special Assistant Kamran Bangash, Corps Commander Peshawar Lt. Gen. Noman Mahmood, Chief Secretary Dr. Kazim Niaz, Additional Chief Secretary Shakeel Qadir, Inspector General of Police and Frontier Corps and other Civil and Military high official attended the meeting.

The meeting was informed that implementation of decisions taken in the last task force meeting was in progress.

The draft of proposed law for the resolution of local issues through Jirgas would be submitted in the upcoming meeting of provincial cabinet for approval.

The chief minister also directed the authorities concerned to immediately provide the required additional staff to expedite the process of payments of compensations amounts to leftover affectees of merged areas under the Citizen Losses Compensation Package further directing the high-ups of board of revenue to prepare database of all the required land for the establishment of government buildings in merged areas.

He also directed the finance department to provide the required funds to police department on priority basis for the procurement of vehicles, equipments and other logistics adding that strengthening of police department in merged areas was the priority of his government.

In order to stop illegal cutting of forests in South Waziristan, three forest check posts have been established whereas work on two additional check posts was in progress.

Similarly, land acquisition process for the construction of judiciary and other government offices has also been started whereas significant progress has been made on the development of agriculture park Wanna.

Besides this, work was also underway on the regularization of project employees of Ex-FATA.

The meeting was informed that a model has been proposed for the outsourcing of health facilities in South Waziristan and a summary would soon be submitted for approval on the basis of said model.

It was also revealed that uniform master plan has been prepared for the water supply infrastructure in merged areas.

The meeting was informed that work on the various developmental projects of Rs. 180 billion was in progress in merged areas whereas the federal government has also made a commitment to provide an additional amount of Rs. 24 billion for merged areas.

About the developmental process in tribal districts Bajaur, the meeting was apprised that a number of developmental schemes were being executed with the total cost of Rs. 55 billion.

Various developmental activities had already been completed by Pak Army and FC as well in the districts.

Pak Army has completed 138 developmental projects whereas work was also in progress on additional 48 developmental projects in different sectors including education, PHE, Road infrastructure and others.

Three police stations were functional in Bajaur whereas additional seven police stations would also be activated within one month time. Besides this, a PC-I has also been approved for the establishment of CTD and special branch in district Bajaur.

The authorities informed that work on the express line to provide uninteracted electricity to health facilities was in progress and would be completed by the mid of November this year.

Similarly, recruitment process to overcome the shortage of human resource in the health sector would also be completed by the end of December 2020.

The Chief Minister on the occasion approved the proposal to run the three category-D hospitals of district Bajaur through public private partnership.

He particularly directed to take concrete steps for the strengthening of district headquarter hospital Bajaur adding that DHQ has been upgraded to the category-A hospital and stated that all the non functional departments of the hospital should be functionalized as soon as possible.

The meeting was told that Rs. 1728 million has been allocated for the up-gradation of existing schools and establishment of new schools on need basis in district Bajaur.

The Chief Minister directed that as short time solution, second shifts should be launched in the schools and work be accelerated on the up-gradation of schools.

He also directed to conduct feasibility studies for the establishment of new three colleges in district Bajaur and stated that establishment of such colleges would be made possible if feasible.

Mahmood Khan on this occasion lauded the role of Pak Army to maintain the law and order situation as well as development of merged areas and said that military institutions were fully cooperating with civil administration regarding the development of merged areas.