Chitral Times Report
PESHAWAR: The 4th Board Meeting of Peshawar Development Authority (PDA) held here on Friday with Chief Minister Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Mahmood Khan in the chair, approved extension of BRT Feeder Routes to Warsak Road, Regi Lalma Township and Defense Housing Scheme in order to facilitate the general public to the maximum. The meeting also gave go ahead to PDA for acquiring the required land for shifting the existing Truck stand on G.T. Road out of the city.
Besides provincial ministers Akbar Ayub, Taimur Saleem Jhagra and MPA Pir Fida Muhammed, the meeting was attended by Administrative secretaries of the concerned departments, Commissioner Peshawar, Director General PDA and other relevant authorities. On this occasion, the chair directed the concerned quarters to introduce E-Tendering, E-Bidding and E-Billing system in PDA on the analogy of works departments of the provincial government further directing the concerned high ups to ensure the holding of all Boards meetings including the PDA board meeting after each three months. On regular basis the Chief Minister also directed the high ups of PDA to ensure physical progress on all the developmental projects of the authority including Peshawar Model Town, Shifting the existing bus stand out of city and construction the missing links of the northern section of Ring Road as per the given timelines so that these projects of public welfare could be completed in the stipulated time period and the public could benefit them without any delay. Mahmood khan further directed the authorities concerned for necessary measures to protect agricultural lands in the vicinity of Peshawar by stopping construction activities on these agricultural lands.
The board meeting approved the construction of new bus stand at Sardar Ghari in the outskirt of Peshawar to shift the exiting general bus stand out of the city with the aim to minimize the pressure of heavy traffic inside the city. The meeting was given briefing about the master plan of the proposed bus stand and it was told that PC-1 of the project would be finalized by second week of next month whereas ground breaking of the project is expected by the end March this year. Similarly, the meeting also accorded approval to start work on the construction of the missing link of the northern section of Ring Road. The 8.7 kilometers long missing link from Warsak Road to Nasir Bagh will be constructed at an approximate cost Rs. 17.4 billions including the land cost. The Chief Minister while assuring full funding for the project directed the concerned authorities to ensure the completion of this project of great public importance in one year time period.
As another important step to address the issue of traffic congestion in the city, the board meeting agreed to the proposal of constructing a clover leaf intersection at the junction of G.T. Road and Ring Road on the entrance of Peshawar. Similarly, creation of a dedicated Traffic Engineering Directorate under the PDA was also approved by the board with the aim to streamline the traffic system of the city and ensure smooth flow of vehicular traffic. The meeting approved budget estimates 2020-21 and revised budget estimates 2019-20 of PDA besides approving special conveyance allowance for the disabled employees of the authority @Rs.1000 per month already admissible to the disabled employees of provincial government. Moreover, the board meeting okayed the proposed draft amendments in PDA Act 2017 to allow the authority to execute housing schemes under land sharing formula. Besides, changing the existing nomenclature of the post of Sweeper into the name of Sanitary Worker, the meeting also approved new service regulations of PDA under PDA Act 2017. To ensure better and efficient management and maintenance of Warsak Road, Kohat Road and Charsadda Road, the board entrusted the management and maintenance of these roads to PDA. Moreover, the board gave go ahead to PDA for hiring of two separate consultancies for digitization of PDA and construction of two commercial plazas at Hayatabad. Similarly, PDA was also allowed by the board to construct Doctor’s Clinic Plaza on the already available land at Hayatabad on Public Private Partnership mode.
