PESHAWAR: Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Mahmood Khan has directed to plan efficient utilisation of surface water resources for agriculture productivity, rainwater storage for raising the water table and using them for cultivation in the barren land, cutting down the non-developmental expenditure in order to create fiscal space for the timely completion of public welfare projects in education, health and social sectors.
“The share of the districts having natural resources should be used in the infrastructure development, provision of drinking water, improving sanitation, efficient healthcare, education and infrastructure development in the respective districts,” he said while presiding over three different meetings that included review of ADP schemes in public health engineering, works & services, irrigation and health departments at the CM Secretariat.
Provincial Minister for C&W Akbar Ayub, secretaries and other authorities concerned attended the meeting which thoroughly debated the schemes in these departments, the status of the schemes, the financial requirements, the existing fiscal space of the province and the time required for completion of these projects.
Addressing the meeting, Chief Minister Khan underlined the need for effective strategy to bring the backward areas at par with the developed areas of the province. “We have to develop our natural resources to use them for much required development and prosperity of both the people and the province,” he said, adding that this province had a lot of resources, the only thing needed, was to tap them on scientific lines making these resources the baseline for expeditious development of our people.
He directed to plan the completion of need-driven schemes within the shortest possible time in sectors such as drinking water, education and health etc. he said that the provision of resources would be taken care of by provincial government. He also directed to tap the gravity water resources for small dams in hilly areas. Such projects should be completed on priority basis and these projects would pay back immediately along with ensuring the benefit of the local populace, he added.
The chief minister also directed for the collection of “Abiana”, restoration of special power previously held by different departments, the channeling and lining of irrigation channels, directing the finance department to make allocation for different packages in road communication, flood protection, conditioning the whole process to the legal framework worked out by the province.
He directed that the capacity of different departments would have to be improved, immediate measures would be taken in the wake of merger of new districts of the erstwhile tribal areas. This province would need resources for infrastructure development in the newly-merged districts, he said. “Our province would provide resources for different steps and schemes in the newly-merged districts for the benefit of people,” he said.
