District, tehsil complexes in merged districts: KP CM for completion of land acquisition within one month

PESHAWAR: Chief Minister Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Muhammad Sohail Afridi has directed that land acquisition for new district and tehsil complexes in the merged districts across the province be completed within one month.

He stated that the establishment of these new complexes would ensure the provision of public services at the citizens’ doorstep.

The Chief Minister also instructed to accelerate work on the provincial power transmission line project, emphasizing that the province’s own transmission system would enable the supply of affordable electricity to industries and the general public.

He added that industrial development is essential for creating employment opportunities and reducing unemployment.

Presiding over a meeting of the Planning and Development Department on Monday, the Chief Minister directed that progress on all ongoing development projects be ensured in line with set timelines, stressing that there is no room for delays in public welfare initiatives.

“Our goal is to ensure that the benefits of these projects reach the people directly and without delay,” he said.

Chief Secretary Shahab Ali Shah, Additional Chief Secretary (P&D) Ikramullah Khan, Additional Chief Secretary (Home) Muhammad Abid Majeed, and other senior officials of the Planning and Development Department attended the meeting.

During the briefing, it was informed that under the Development Program 2025–26, a total of 2,186 schemes have been included with an allocation of Rs. 520 billion.

Under the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Annual Development Program (ADP), 1,577 schemes have been allocated Rs 215 billion, out of which Rs. 73 billion have already been released.

Similarly, Rs 6.6 billion have been allocated for the merged districts’ Annual Development Program, while Rs 50 billion have been earmarked under the Accelerated Implementation Program (AIP) for merged districts, of which Rs 19.4 billion have been released.

It was further informed that the federal government has not released funds for the AIP during the current fiscal year; however, the provincial government has released Rs. 19.4 billion from its own resources. By the end of the current fiscal year, 470 development projects are expected to be completed.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2025