The provincial government of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa in collaboration with Asian Development Bank (ADB) is rehabilitating and reconstructing farm to market roads in the province. In this connection a review meeting on such projects was held here with KP Chief Minister Mahmood Khan in the chair.
The meeting held at Chief Minister's Secretariat was also attended by Minister for C&W Akbar Ayub, Additional Chief Secretary Shahzad Bangash, Principal Secretary to Chief Minister Mohammad Israr, Commissioner Peshawar Shahab Ali Shah, Secretary Finance Shakeel Qadar, Secretary C&W and Asian Development Bank Country Director Xiaohong Yang that focused on the 700 long km four dozen rural roads initiated in the province in collaboration with the Asian Development Bank.
The meeting made a number of decisions for a comprehensive road communication net work integrating the whole of the province including the Districts of erstwhile FATA.
The meeting also focused on the road communication net work in the newly merged Districts of the erstwhile FATA and made a number of decisions for the smooth reconstruction and rehabilitation of roads communication network in the whole of the province including the newly merged districts.
The chief minister asked the participants of the meeting to design an integrated development project for FATA covering the economic revival and growth comprising on areas such as water taping, farming, irrigation and agriculture productivity in the newly merged districts. "We want to carry out the developmental exercise in the newly merged districts on war footings under the definite aim to generate trade and commercial activities giving incentive to both the foreign investors for industrialization and exploitation of the natural advantages of these areas thus generating economic and employment opportunity for the benefit of the erstwhile FATA," he added.
The Asian Development representatives assured all out supports for the projects in the rural areas affected by different natural calamities in the province. The reconstruction and rehabilitation would be completed under time lines. There are 25 bridges on the 700 long km roads affected by earth quick and flood previously. The Asian Development Bank has already pledged allocation and financial assistance for the rehabilitation.
A certain amount of roads reconstruction and rehabilitation in the erstwhile FATA would also be supported by Asian Development Bank; its representatives assured the meeting.
The meeting also discussed the phase-II of Kurum Tangi projects bringing under consideration different dimensions and the process of implementation of the project.
The meeting was kept abreast of emerging avenues in agriculture, energy, water management and other in the newly merged districts, which the chief minister advised to take for consideration for the expeditious development of tribal areas as a part of the integration of these areas into the rest of the province.
The micro hydel projects would soon be handed over to the community for their management and functionalising.