PESHAWAR - The Government of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa has approved three major housing projects and the authorities concerned have been directed to initiate execution of these projects at the earliest.
The approval was given in a meeting held here with Chief Minister Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Pervez khattak in the chair.
Special Assistants to Chief Minister on Housing and planning and Development, Additional Chief Secretary, Secretary Housing and other concerned officers attended the meeting. The meeting reviewed in detail the progress on the New Hangu City, and Model Towns of Peshawar and Nowshera and took several vital decisions with regard to the way forward on these schemes.
Considering the salient features of projects highlighted in the briefing given during the meeting, the Chief Minister directed the Housing department to increase the number of plots of Hangu City from 500 to 2000 by reducing the proposed size of plots from one kanal to five marlas so as to make them available to low income groups at affordable price and accommodate maximum number of applicants as well. He also directed the Revenue Department to make necessary arrangements for transferring 1,420 acres of the land, proposed for the Hangu City, to the Provincial Housing Department.
The chief minister also approved five kilometer three lane access Express Way from Tarujaba at G.T. Road to Model Town, Nowshera and directed to enhance its width from 280 to 320 feet. He also approved the royalty-based conceptual plan of Peshawar Model Town for which the land owners offered 13,000 kanals of land for acquisition so far.
Meanwhile, in another meeting chaired by Chief Minister Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Pervez Khattak standardised and uniformed designs were approved for new buildings of schools and colleges which will save millions of rupees that were being paid by the provincial government to designing consultants.
The meeting was told that the design, prepared and financially worked out by Communication and Works Department, would also reduce construction and recurring cost of the buildings besides accommodating all necessary facilities as well as a unique aesthetic value of the design.
 The separate designs for male and female educational institutions in hilly and planned areas will also provide for students’ hostel, teachers and staff accommodation, day care centre and security arrangements in girl colleges especially in remote areas of the province.
Speaking at the meeting, the chief minister directed to equip all education institutions with solar system at design level and avoid use of wood for windows. Pointing out certain other amendments in the design, he directed to provide bachelor accommodation that would be made available to the teachers without deducting their house rent.
He said that such a facility would ensure availability of teachers in far flung areas.
Pervez Khattak appreciated the design and asked the Secretary C&W to propose rewards for the engineers of the Central Design Office who have formulated such a feasible and economical design which would overcome unnecessary expenditures on raising civil structures for education and health facilities.
Advisor to Chief Minister on C&W Akbar Ayub, Secretary C&W Ahmed Hanif Orakzai, Principal Secretary to Chief Minister Dr Shahzad Khan Bangash, Special Secretary Higher Education Abdul Ghafoor Baig and other concerned officers attended the meeting.