Peshawar: The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Caretaker Minister for Newly Merged Districts Affairs, Industries, Commerce, and Technical Education, Dr. Aamer Abdullah, chaired a meeting at his office in Peshawar on Monday to review funding status for ongoing projects under the Accelerated Implementation Program (AIP) in Newly Merged Districts.
During the meeting, discussions centered on the allocation of funds for ongoing development projects across various departments, including Communications and Work, Irrigation, Agriculture, Livestock Fisheries, Forestry and Environment, Food, Primary and Secondary and Higher Education, Public Health Engineering, Sports and Youth Affairs, and the Board of Revenue.
The meeting involved a comprehensive review of each project’s status and the necessary funds essential for their timely completion.
Secretary Communication and Works Idris Khan Marwat, Secretary Livestock and Fisheries Dr. Muhammad Asrar, Secretary Food Zarif ul-Maani, Special Secretaries from the Interior and Tribal Affairs Department Muhammad Zubair and Environment Department Khuda Bakhsh, and Director General Sustainable Development Unit (SDU) Adil Saeed Safi, along with other planning and related officers, attended the meeting.
The caretaker minister emphasized prioritizing projects nearing completion to ensure swift realization of benefits for the local populace.
Addressing specific concerns, the minister instructed the completion of the biometric system required for parents to receive funds related to the government’s scholarship program by December 30.
Furthermore, he directed the inclusion of salaries for teaching staff in community schools within funding priorities and stressed the initiation of a double-shift program in areas with urgent needs.
The sports department received directives to organize sports activities locally within the merged districts, with a commitment to try for the provision of necessary funds for their improvement.
The caretaker minister also set deadlines for specific projects, including the completion of the first phase of the comprehensive Public Health Engineering (PHE) scheme and the establishment of a district complex for South Waziristan Upper.
Promoting fisheries in the merged districts was underscored, with specific instructions for the fisheries department to initiate fish stocks in dam reservoirs. The Department of Communications and Work was directed to expedite the construction of priority roads, with a focus on completing those near finalization.
Additionally, the Board of Revenue was assigned responsibilities related to determining demarcations between certain merged districts, and detailed progress reports were requested.
