Peshawar (Naimat Ullah): The ninth meeting of the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Development Working Party (PDWP) was held under the chairmanship of Additional Chief Secretary of Planning and Development Department, Ikramullah Khan. During the meeting, several important development projects were approved, including an allocation of 3 billion rupees to provide employment opportunities for skilled youth.
The meeting was attended by PDWP members and officers from relevant departments. Several key projects related to irrigation, education, health, social welfare, and local government were approved for the province’s development. Among the approved projects were flood protection infrastructure on the Swat River and nearby streams in Mitha Tehsil, Swat, restoration and improvement of CRBC and Paharpur Canal Systems in Dera Ismail Khan, and the construction of solar lift irrigation schemes across the province.
Additionally, the meeting approved the restoration and reconstruction of flood-damaged infrastructure and channels in Swat, Shangla, and Buner, and the construction of flood protection works in Alpuri and Besham Tehsils of Shangla district. The projects also include improvements in irrigation facilities in Swat district and the establishment of a new government college in Buner.
Other significant developments approved include the reconstruction of the Agriculture Research Institute (ARI) in Mingora, Swat, restoration of the Veterinary Research and Disease Investigation Center in Balogram, Swat, upgrading basic health units in Lower Dir, and the establishment of a Thalassemia department in the District Headquarters of Batkhela, Malakand. Furthermore, a new system for monitoring and evaluation of education and health facilities in the province will be introduced, along with the construction of roads in Wana, South Waziristan, and Tanik subdivision.
The meeting also sanctioned the purchase of land for cemeteries, the establishment of three model religious schools as a pilot project, and the creation of computer labs in registered religious schools. Additionally, road infrastructure projects such as the restoration of Bait Khela bypass road and the expansion of the Boni Bzend Turkho road in Upper Chitral were approved.
The meeting also cleared the upgrading and restoration of the Lawrencepur-Tarbela road under the Public Sector Development Program (PSDP).
