ISLAMABAD: A senior delegation of the World Bank Pakistan led by the Country Director, Najy Benhassine, visited different sites in Bara tehsil of District Khyber which have been financed under the Pakistan Community Support Project (PCSP).

The country director was accompanied by the World Bank Operations Team, Project Director PCSP and the district administration of Khyber during the visit.

While interacting with the local communities, the country director said: “The most encouraging aspect of the newly built infrastructure, such as drinking water facilities and farm-to-market roads, is to see communities benefitting from them collectively.”

One of the project sites visited by the World Bank delegation was the solar-powered water supply scheme which has been completed at a cost of Rs 7.25 million by the communities in line with the priority development needs.

This sub-project is benefitting 185 households in Yousaf Talab village in tehsil Bara with full community participation, including voluntary land donation and 10 per cent of community share.

It was also shared by the country director that the World Bank will continue its support for community-driven development initiatives throughout the province as these projects articulate the development needs and priorities of the communities.

The World Bank delegation also went to Morcho Khwar village in tehsil Bara to visit the farm-to-market road which has been completed at a cost of Rs 6,83 million.

The community shared that it was a mud track before which caused mobility issues for them, especially male and female students, who had to travel more than 1 kilometer for the nearest schools and college.

The road is providing convenience to more than 60 households such as improved accessibility, increased enrolment, and enhanced transportation. The disabled persons have also been facilitated by the sub-project.

Earlier, the country director visited the Citizen Facilitation Center (CFC) setup at Bara with the financial assistance of the Multi-Donor Trust Fund which is administered by the World Bank.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2023