PESHAWAR - The Provincial Development Working Party on Friday approved 32 projects with an estimated cost of Rs39.194 billion.

Eight projects were deferred and one project withdrawn due to inadequate designs and strategies which were returned to the respective departments for rectification and improvement.

The forum held its meeting under the chairmanship of Muhammad Azam Khan, Additional Chief Secretary Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa and approved certain development projects in various sectors.

In the higher education sector, the approved projects were the establishment of Pak-Austria Fachhochschule Institute of Applied Sciences and Technology (PAF-IAST), Mang, District Haripur, upgradation of existing university campuses to university in Chitral.

Approved projects of elementary and secondary education sector were the establishment of a model school in Haripur, ICT in education transformation model projects in higher secondary schools Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa and Girls Community Schools project (Phase-II).

In archaeology sector, the only approved project was repair and rehabilitation of Mahabat Khan Mosque Peshawar. In social welfare sector, the only approved project was upgradation of a special education institute up to secondary level in each division of Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa.

Approved project of relief and rehabilitation sector was the rehabilitation of flood affected roads and bridges in District Chitral (C&W Department), reconstruction and rehabilitation of disaster affected infrastructure in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa (Irrigation Department).

In the finance sector, the only approved project was capacity building and strengthening of the finance department.

In local development sector, the only approved project was a special initiative programme for PK-30 District Mardan.

In multi-sectoral development sector, the only approved project was the establishment of PPP support unit in P&D Department.

In urban development sector, the only approved project was installation LED lights on various urban roads in Peshawar.

In the building sector, the approved projects were design and construction of government officers residences at Race Course Garden, Peshawar, design for rehabilitation and emergent nature works at Governor’s House Peshawar and Governor’s House Natiagali, reconstruction of damaged DC’s main office Mansehra, emergent nature work Chief Minister’s House.

In roads sector, the approved projects were provision for lapsed loan to be refunded to World Bank against KP-ERRP in Pakistan portfolio, construction, and improvement and widening of Paniala Paharpur Road, Paniala Chunda Road, Pharpur Bypass Road and construction of a bridge on Paniala bypass road District Dera Ismail Khan, design internal roads Pirpiai, Azakhel Bala, Payan, Dagai, Banda Nabi, Badrashi, Nowshera, construction of internal road in UCs Dagai-Banda Nabi, Pirpiai, Badrashi, Azakhel Bala and Payan, District Nowshera.

In DWSS sector, the approved projects were drinking water supply from Indus River to Village Rehman Abad Shakar Dara along with adjacent villages, Kohat, concept paper for gravity based drinking water supply scheme Mingora Swat, concept paper for gravity flow drinking water supply scheme District Mansehra, sanitation and drainage scheme for UC Gujar Garhi PK-26 District Mardan, solarisation of 200 schemes both existing and new water supply schemes, gravity schemes and high head schemes in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa, construction of water supply and sanitation scheme in Galiyat and Lora Circle District Abbottabad.

In the water sector, the approved projects were the construction of flood protection of village near village Khanay Bakka Khel and adjoining agricultural lands from flood flows in Tochi river District Bannu, Diversion of Tarkha Algada to Kashu Algada, District Karak.

In the home sector, the only approved project was the reconstruction of the damaged prisons due to October 26, 2015, earthquake in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa.

In Law and Justice sector, the approved projects were the construction of Judicial Complex, Mardan, and master planning for construction of model anti-terrorism courts, reconstruction and renovation of Judicial Complex Nowshera, acquisition of land for construction of judicial complexes on a need basis.

The meeting was attended by its members and respective administrative secretaries. The forum considered 41 projects pertaining to different sectors including higher education, elementary and secondary education, sports, archaeology, health, social welfare, relief and rehabilitation, finance, local development, multi-sectoral development, urban development, roads and bridges, DWSS, water, home, law and justice and agriculture sectors for the uplift of the province.