PESHAWAR: Chief Minister Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Pervez Khattak has said that construction work on Bus Rapid Transit Project would start in the month of November this year costing rupees fifteen billion of which 85 percent would be arranged by the Asian Development Bank
The project would be completed by December 2017. He appreciated the Asian Bank Country Director for his bank timely assistance to putting on ground the all time big project for Peshawar.
He was talking to the Country Director Asian Development Bank, who assured that the Bank was very much comfortable with the timely initiation and completion of the bus rapid transport project in Peshawar.
He assured November was appropriate for the work to take off. The Bank funding would be available even before the commencement of work on the project.
He also indicated his willingness for the completion of different projects before the time line and the bank would speed up the process of loaning to these projects. The Asian Bank, he added would arrange 85% of the total cost amounting to Rs.15 billion of projects in communication sector that the provincial government had already reflected in the ADP.
The Asian Development Bank would help out the provincial government projects under titled “Provincial Road Rehabilitation Project”. The project would cost 15 billion rupees and would rehabilitate and reconstruct different roads up to 500 KM of length in different districts throughout the province. The Chief Minister remarked that his government had already pulled its sleeves for different projects of public welfare as his government could not afford any delay in these projects. Delay would be the wastage of time and there would be a danger of cost escalation on these projects, he added.
Engr. Muhammad Uzair, Managing director of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Highway Authority gave a detail sketch of the entire roads communication network recommended for rehabilitation and reconstruction under the Provincial Roads Rehabilitation Projects. The Chief Minister highlighted the importance of connecting Mardan with Swabi through a dualization of existing connectivity and said that it needed to be connected in view of the Swat Motorway that would open up the unopened areas to expeditious development.
Pervez Khattak said he was for a comprehensive road communication network and the main arteries connecting two or more districts in the province were of prime importance for his government. He said that his government would not go slow on projects in road communication and had taken care of the multiple risks.
The Asian Development Bank would provide 85% of the total cost of the project as ADP support loan. The provincial government would put its share in the project as 15% of the total 15 billion being spent on the provincial road rehabilitation project under ADB.
The Asian Development Bank Country Director agreed to revisit the time line and expedite the process of loaning for the project.
The Chief Minister directed to sketch out a comprehensive design for Abbottabad and Kohat Bypasses and other Bypasses in different districts of the province.
The Chief Minister directed for the fastest track approach with the realistic time line in order to complete these projects as expeditiously as possible.
The provincial government, he added, had already diverted resources to support the projects and the Country Director agreed to speed up the financing obligation by the bank. —APP