NWFP Chief Minister Akram Khan Durrani has assured that Chitral would receive maximum in the developmental fund, adding the backward district had been kept backward in the past creating a sense of deprivation in the people's mind of those districts.
He said necessary machinery and other equipment had reached the site for the construction of Lowari Tunnel, adding it was a long standing demand of the people of Chitral that would be resolved in the tenure of the MMA government.
Durrani said the completion of this gigantic project would usher in an era of development and prosperity, adding Rs 420 million had been earmarked for various developmental projects in Chitral district.
He stated this while addressing a briefing regarding developmental activities in district Chitral at the Chief Minister's Secretariat on Tuesday morning.
The briefing focused on developmental activities and the pace of work on various ongoing schemes and the issues related to the development of district Chitral.
MNA Maulana Abdul Akbar, MPA Jehangir Khan, and others also attended it.
The NWFP chief minister expressed anguish over the low quality of wheat, and ordered an enquiry into the matter so that the responsible person could be taken into task, adding the recovery of the same should be made from the responsible officials.
He said that his government would not tolerate any threat to the good governance, adding: "We have taken on board all the stakeholders in the decision-making process."
Durrani said: "We have ensured public accessibility to the rulers. We would not allow the culture of likes and dislikes, and would not allow the misuse of resources", adding in the past, the ruling elite plundered the national exchequer and subordinated everything to their personal interests, resultantly the people's problems puffed up.
He said there should be no misuse of Zakat and Bailtul Mall Fund. These were for the poor and deserving people, and if anything was wrong in the process; it should be rectified, he added.
The NWFP chief minister warned that action would be initiated if reported wrong in the process. He said that Zakat and Baitul Mall fund should be used for the rehabilitation of poor, and making them stand on their own feet.
He was briefed about the developmental activities in Chitral. Some 36 projects in education, health, communication and other social sectors were being completed with a cost of Rs 200 million, saying under Taamir-e-Pakistan Programme, Rs 3.2 million was being spent, and under Dera programme, Rs 91 million was being spent on various irrigation schemes in the district.
He said another 12 schemes have been initiated under the Taamir-e-Sarhad Programme, while Rs 108.309 million has been set aside for schemes under the KPP. Similarly, 63 schemes were being executed under the Sarhad Rural Support Programme.
The NWFP chief minister called upon the elected representatives to be fully aware of the developmental exercise in the area. The welfare activity should not be politicised.
He directed the irrigation department to undertake feasibility of various small hydro power undertaking in the district, saying that education requirements of the area would be fulfilled on priority basis, and assured that Chitral would have its share in the proposed raising of 15,000 police force.
He was also briefed about a National Park spread over 49,480 acres that would cost Rs 202.2 million. It would have precious birds and animals.
The chief minister directed to accelerate the pace of work, and assured to include a stadium, a polytechnic institute and a bridge at Booni.
Referring to the policies of his government, the Durrani said the MMA government had given equal funding to all elected representatives, and there was no discrimination of political affiliation and all were treated equally.
To the deficiencies in the district government system, the chief minister said that all the four chief ministers of the country have evolved consensus to undertake fine tuning of the existing system so that it could be made more people-friendly.