CM KP decides to involve NAB in project cycle

F.P. Report

PESHAWAR: As an important step to make the officials working in development projects more confident as well as to ensure completion of projects in a timely and transparent manner, the caretaker chief minister Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Justice (R) Syed Arshad Hussain Shah has decided to involve NAB representatives in project cycle including conception, planning and execution of development projects.

He directed the quarters concerned to send a formal letter to higher authority of NAB in this regard. He was presiding over 15th meeting of the Board of Directors of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Urban Mobility Authority (KPUMA) held here at Chief Minister’s House on Tuesday. Caretaker provincial minister for ST&IT Dr. Najeeb Ullah, administrative secretaries of concerned departments, DIG Traffic Police, MD KPUMA, CEO Trans Peshawar and other board members attended the meeting.

Touching upon the need and importance of the decision regarding involvement of NAB representative in the projects cycle, the chief minister said that whole exercise will not only ensure transparency in the development works but also give confidence to the working officers, and resultantly, they will not feel any hesitation and fear regarding implementation of the projects.

The Chief Minister directed that all matters related to development projects should be kept fair and transparent in all respects from the very beginning so that implementation of projects is not delayed due to fear of accountability in the future. “This process will help to ensure completion of development projects within the stipulated time lines”, he remarked.

The board has approved the proposed nomination committee with TORs to recommend/nominate the non official members of the board as well as to further rationalize the number of board members. The proposed committee will also recommend necessary amendments in the relevant law for that purpose. The board accorded conditional approval to the proposed budget of Authority for fiscal year 2023-24.

The board has also approved financial audited report of Authority for the fiscal year 2021-22 and allowed to share the same with all the stakeholders. The financial audited report had been conducted through an independent chartered account firm. Ongoing development projects and other various matters related to sustainability of Bus Repaid Transit project were also discussed in the meeting.

The chief minister while talking notice of delay in the completion of BRT commercial plazas has convened the meeting of PDA and other relevant departments with the purpose to take stock of progress on the construction of those commercial plazas and to decide future course of action in order to ensure speedy completion of the projects. The chief minister on the occasion has directed the Trans Peshawar and other autonomous bodies to pay special attention to their self-reliance, adding that all the autonomous bodies/institutions would have to ensure efficient and judicious use of available resources for this purpose.

Syed Arshad Hussain Shah said that BRT was a project of public welfare; and we have to take concrete steps in order to run it on a sustainable basis. He agreed in principle to the proposed advertisement plan and installation of a solar plant in BRT Bus Depot and directed the concerned authorities to come up with final action plan in this regard within the next two weeks.