peshawar    -   Chief Minister Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Mahmood Khan on Monday directed the authorities of communication and works department to expedite work on all ongoing mega schemes in communication sector and assured that the provincial government would provide required resources for the purpose.  

He particularly stressed upon the expeditious completion of financial and commercial feasibility studies of Swat Motorway Phase-II, Peshawar-D.I. Khan Motorway and Dir Motorway so that public could be facilitated through such mega development projects. 

Presiding over a high-level meeting of communication and works department, Mahmood Khan said the provincial government was committed to boost industrial and tourism activities in the province for which different communication schemes had been initiated. The meeting was attended besides others by Special Assistant to Chief Minister Riaz Khan, Principal Secretary to CM Shahab Ali Shah and other high officials. 

The forum was informed that ECNEC had approved acquisition of land scheme for Swat Motorway Phase 2 whereas public private partnership unit had recommended the financial and commercial feasibility of the project. It was also told that consultancy would be awarded next month for commercial and financial study of Dir Motorway. Similarly, financial and commercial feasibility of Peshawar-D.I. Khan motorway would be completed by next month. 

The meeting was apprised that PC-II of 29km long road from Baba Sarai (Buner) to Katlang Interchange had been prepared and would be submitted to relevant forum for approval. 

The meeting was informed that under the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Integrated Tourism Development Project (KITE), work was in process on 50km long 9 different access roads to tourist areas in Malakand division. Similarly, construction of five access roads to tourist areas in Hazara division was also part of current development portfolio whereas construction of 30 km long approach road to Sheikh Badeen Tourist site had reflected in ADP 2020-21.  

The meeting was told that so far 33 development schemes in road sector had been completed during financial year 2019-20. This time 114 schemes were due for completion in road sector and Rs.28522.0 million had been allocated for total 507 schemes in current Annual Developmental Programme. Briefing about the progress made so far by Pakhtunkhwa Highways Authority, it was informed that the authority had constructed 170km long new highways and 79 bridges.  

Similarly, dualization of various roads having total length of 272Km had also been done. In the current ADP, Rs.1824.758 million had been allocated for 32 ongoing schemes of Pakhtunkhwa Highways Authority and Rs.215 million had been allocated for six new schemes. Rs.800 million had been allocated for five schemes under Accelerated Implementation Programme of merged areas. The forum was also briefed about the reforms introduced by the communication and works department. It was informed that E-bidding and E-billing system had already been introduced in the department whereas work on human resource development and restructuring of C&W department was in progress.