Mahmood Khan underlines the need to expedite pace of work on all the ongoing projects being executed under PSDP

PESHAWAR, December 16: Chief Minister Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Mahmood Khan has underlined the need to expedite pace of work on all the ongoing projects being executed under Public Sector Development Program (PSDP) in the province with special focus on the high priority projects of road sector and directed the authorities concerned to take curative measures to ensure timely completion of the projects. He directed the authorities concerned to ensure cent percent utilization of funds released for PSDP Projects further directing them to ensure timely preparation and submission of fund utilization reports to relevant forum. He further directed to get approval of PC-Is of all the projects proposed for the next PSDP by the end of this month from Provincial Working Development Party adding that timely completion of public welfare projects was the priority of the government for which all the stakeholders would have to fulfill their responsibilities well in time.
He was chairing a meeting held here on Thursday to review progress on the projects under Public Sector Development Program in the province. Additional Chief Secretary Shahab Ali Shah, Principal Secretary to Chief Minister Amjad Ali Khan, Administrative Secretaries of concerned departments and other relevant quarters attended the meeting. The forum has decided to hold meetings with the relevant federal entities to resolve the issues related to Federal Government regarding implementation of PSDP Projects being executed in the province. The chief minister while expressing his dis-satisfaction over the pace of work on road sector projects has directed the quarters concerned to take necessary steps to accelerate progress on the projects. He directed all the departments to submit detailed reports regarding utilization of funds released for the projects being implemented in their respective departments. Earlier, the forum was informed that under the Public Sector Development Program work on 143 projects in different sectors was in progress out of which 69 development projects were being executed by the provincial government whereas 74 projects by the federal government. So far Rs. 47 Billion have been spent on the projects. It was informed that issue of land acquisition for 32 KM long Northern Bypass Road Peshawar has been resolved. The project will be completed at a total cost of Rs. 21 billion by December 2022 adding that a project of dualization of 89 km old Bannu road will be completed by August 2022 at a cost of Rs 17 billion.
The meeting was informed that land acquisition for 153 km Chitral-Boni-Mastuj-Shandur road is in process adding that the project will be completed at Rs 21 billion. It will be executed in four packages while work is underway on first three packages. Similarly, tender for 46 km long Chitral-Ayun-Bambureet road will be floated within one month while the project will be completed at Rs 4 billion. Briefing about the progress on Khyber Institute of Child Health and Children Hospital, it was told that 90 percent civil work of the project is complete while procurement of equipment yet to be started. The chief Minister on the occasion directed the quarters concerned for timely procurement of equipment so that the facility could be opened for public without any delay. Later, the meeting was apprised that a total of 63 projects have been identified in different sectors for inclusion in upcoming PSDP. Out of total, PC1s of 32 projects have been prepared so far while 16 Pc1s have been cleared from PDWP. The chair directed the authorities concerned to get remaining PC1s cleared from concerned forum by the end of this month.-PR