Directing the senior officials of Ministry of Communication and other relevant departments to focus on infrastructure development in backward areas, a parliamentary panel Friday said that development of the backward areas will not only help attract tourism but it will also bring positive impacts for the residents.

Senate Functional Committee on Problems of Less Developed Areas, which met here under the chairmanship of Senator Usman Khan Kakar, also recommended the government to include two bypasses at national highway connecting district Loralai with rest of the country in next year's Public Sector Development Program (PSDP). Chairman Committee Senator Usman Kakar observed that inclusion of bypasses on the road in the next PSDP will not only benefit smooth flow of heavy transport but it will also help local transport.

Similarly, regarding the bypass in Muslim Bagh, the committee was told by National Highway Authority (NHA) that the project is in design phase and Ministry of Planning is in a better position to tell if at this stage the realignment as proposed by the Committee can be carried out or not because that track is longer and would also require more land acquisition. The committee observed that a commitment was given in the meeting of Committee on Communications around 4 months earlier that land was available and would be less costly than the present location. The committee was assured that the matter will be again taken up with Planning Division for review of the alignment.

For the bypass in Zhob, the committee was told that the project is a part of CPEC and is an approved project. The committee recommended that this should be processed separately and may be funded by the PSDP.

The meeting was held under the chairmanship of Senator Usman Khan Kakar here at the Parliament House on Friday and was attended among others by Senators Nighat Mirza, Moulvi Faiz Muhammad, Kulsoom Parveen, Gianchand and Anwar Lal Deen, secretary communications and representatives from NHA and Planning Division. The committee was also given a briefing on action taken by National Highway Authority for land acquisition/authorization and rendering process for construction of roads/motorways from Dera Ismail Khan-Zhob-Quetta-Khuchlak being less-developed areas in Balochistan province.

Regarding Chakdara-Kalam Road in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, the committee appreciated the efficient construction in the project which has reduced the travel time form 4 hours to one hour and will also lead to increased tourism.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2019