PESHAWAR: Chief Minister Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Mahmood Khan has said that work is in progress on various developmental schemes worth Rs. 142 billion in district Peshawar whereas developmental schemes worth Rs. one billion in each constituency of the district would also be started adding that keeping in view the health facilities requirements of Peshawar region, a tertiary level hospital under public private partnership would also be established.
Addressing a public gathering in Peshawar on Sunday Mahmood Khan said that when Prime Minister Imran Khan came into power, the country faced a difficult situation, the country was plunged into foreign debts and economy of the country was on the verge of collapse. He said that the incumbent government under the visionary leadership of Prime Minister Imran Khan, as its top priority started to take practical steps to revive the economy but unfortunately it was badly hit by corona pandemic adding that Prime Minister Imran Khan, through an effective strategy steered the economy of the country successfully which was acknowledged and appreciated worldwide.
Mahmood Khan remarked that the global pandemic of corona as elsewhere in the world is resulted in the current wave of inflation in Pakistan, and the present government under the vision of leadership of Imran Khan is taking result oriented steps to provide maximum possible relief to the public in the prevailing situation adding that the Prime Minister Imran Khan has announced a historic relief package worth Rs. 120 billion to give relief to the general masses. Mahmood Khan stated that if need arises the provincial government would divert developmental budget to give maximum relief to the people.
He ascribed the flawed economic policies of the previous rulers as another reason for the current inflation and said that during the past seventy years various political parties ruled the masses and enjoyed powers, looted the public exchequer but made no planning for the future of the country which has resulted in the current inflation badly affecting the poor masses. Mahmood Khan further said that the incumbent government was not only committed but also taking visible steps to steer the nation out of these crises.
Touching upon the three year performance of his government, Mahmood Khan stated that when the provincial government came into power, three years back, it had to face a number of challenges, the merger of tribal areas being top of them adding that merger of Ex-FATA was undoubtedly a complicated and difficult task but because of the full support and visionary guidelines of Prime Minister Imran Khan, the provincial government completed the entire process of the merger in the short time of the two years and now the government is focusing on the accelerated development of these areas, completion of Peshawar Bus Rapid Transit Project was another challenge for the incumbent provincial government which has now become an iconic project of public transport benefitting thousands of commuters on daily basis. He added that completion of Swat Motorway Phase-I and launching of Rashakai Special Economic Zone were yet another two important achievements of the provincial government.
The chief minister remarked that the incumbent provincial government was working under a well-conceived planning in agriculture, industry and other sectors adding that progress is being made on CRBC Gomal Zam and Tank Zam Dam projects to bring the huge chunk of unirrigated land of southern district under cultivation with the aim to ensure the food security of the province. Similarly, the provincial government was working on the establishment of economic zones and construction of motorways in the province to make the province a hub of trade and industrial activities adding that D.I Khan Motorway, Swat Motorway, Chitral Motorway and Khyber Pass Economic Corridor projects, on completion would connect all the districts of the province with one another and thus boost trade and economic activities.
Touching upon the public welfare initiatives of the province Mahmood Khan termed Sehat Card Plus Scheme as a flagship project of his government and said that under the scheme cent percent population of the province was being provided free healthcare facilities adding that Kissan Card Scheme was another important scheme of his government under which fertilizers, seeds, pesticides and other agriculture related items are being provided to farmers on subsidized rates. Mahmood Khan said that the provincial government had earmarked Rs. 10 Billion in the current budget for food card scheme to give relief to the needy families of the province and added that education card would also be launched very soon to give support to the needy students to pursue their academic career in reputed education institutions across the country.
