PESHAWAR                 -                Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minis­ter Mahmood Khan has said that accelerated development of the merged tribal districts is on top of the priority lists of both the feder­al and provincial governments and directed the concerned highups to pay special attention to the time­ly completion of all developmen­tal schemes initiated in these trib­al districts under the Accelerated Implementation Plan (AIP).

He said this while chairing a meeting held here on Monday to review progress on the develop­mental schemes launched in the merged tribal districts under the Annual Development Program with special focus on the initiatives launched under the AIP.

He said that unnecessary delay or negligence in the completion of these projects would not be toler­ated adding that strict actions will be taken against those who do not meet the given timelines for the completion of these projects.

The meeting was given a pres­entation on the progress so far made on the developmental schemes initiated in various sec­tors including Elementary and Secondary Education, Higher Edu­cation, Health, Agriculture, Sports and Tourism, Energy and Power, Irrigation and Water Supply.

Stressing the need for further improving the pace of progress on these schemes, the Chief Minister directed the quarters concerned to convene separate meetings of all the departments to have a detailed review of the progress on the de­velopmental schemes of these de­partments individually.

Mahmood Khan directed the concerned authorities to fill up all the vacancies lying vacant in the merged districts.

He further directed the highups to take necessary steps on priori­ty basis to ensure the implementa­tion of Prime Minister’s directives regarding various developmental schemes in the merged districts; and to prepare PC-Is of the pro­posed developmental schemes for the approval of competent forum.

The meeting was informed that 68% of the funds were released during the last financial year, whereas 88% of the funds released under the current financial year for the developmental projects of NMDs under the AIP were utilized.

It was further informed that 76% of the funds released for the upgra­dation of grid stations, 88% of the funds released for the establish­ment of Rescue 1122 stations and 91% of the funds released for In­saaf Rozgar Scheme in the merged districts were utilized so far.

The Chief Minister directed to convene a meeting of all the con­cerned Deputy Commissioners to resolve the issues of land acquisi­tion for some of the developmen­tal schemes in the merged dis­tricts. He reiterated the resolve that as per vision of Prime Min­ister Imran Khan, completion of all the AIP schemes would be en­sured at any cost.