F.P. Report
ISLAMABAD: Ambassador of the European Union to Pakistan Dr. Riina Kionka called on the Chief Minister Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Sardar Ali Amin Khan Gandapur here in Islamabad on Tuesday and discussed with him matters related to public welfare projects being executed in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa with the partnership of the European Union.
Chief Secretary Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Nadeem Aslam Chaudhary and other relevant officials were also present on the occasion. The Chief Minister, giving thanks to the European Union on behalf of the people of the province for providing support in public welfare projects, has said that CDLD Project being executed with the support of European Union in the province is of vital importance in improving the socio-economic conditions of the people. He on this occasion, assured that the provincial government would extend its all possible support for implementing the projects assisted by the European Union in the province.
Touching upon the priorities sectors of his government, the Chief Minister said that the provincial government is working under well devised strategy to utilize hydro power potential available in the province. Besides, he said that green energy initiative is also an integral part of the priorities area of his government under which work on the solarization of educational institutes and other government outlets is in progress.
Similarly, he said that funds have been allocated for the solarization of deserving households across the province. He maintained that the provincial government is working on improving the municipal services and basic healthcare facilities; the government would need special cooperation from European Union and other donor agencies for these sectors. Similarly, resettlement of Temporary Displaced Persons of merged districts would also need assistance from our development partners.
He said that rehabilitating infrastructure and providing employment opportunities in the merged districts is also a focused area of the provincial government because the development and prosperity of those districts is indispensable for sustainable piece and tranquility in the region. Unrest situation in the merged districts can be controlled affectively only by promoting employment opportunities and developing the infrastructure destroyed in the war against terrorism, he remarked.
Focus on to develop agriculture sector on modern lines: An important meeting regarding Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Rural Economic Transformation Project was held here at Islamabad with Chief Minister Sardar Ali Amin Khan Gandapur in the chair. Chief Secretary Nadeem Aslam Chaudhry, Secretary Agriculture Javed Marwat and other relevant officials attended the meeting. The Chief Minister on this occasion, was apprised of the progress made so far on the project, it’s important features, issues being faced in its implementation and other important matters related to the project.
It was informed that the project would be completed at an estimated cost of Rs. 30 billion in collaboration with international development partners. The project would have three important components including Agri-business Development, Skills Development & Employment Promotion and Program Management and Policy Support. Under its first component “Agri-business Development”, multiple initiatives would be taken in addition to establishing 550 Professional Farmers Organizations in the province. Similarly, under the Skills Development and Employment Promotion, more than one lac people would be provided with livelihood opportunities and other 25000 people would be trained for Agri-business activities.
Apart from this, about 60,000 youth would also be imparted with technical and professional training in line with the contemporary needs and requirements. Taking notice of the unnecessary delay in the implementation of the project, the chief minister has strictly directed the quarters concerned to initiate physical work on the project without any further delay, adding that all the prerequisites in this regard must be completed well in time. He also directed them to fix realistic timelines for initiating practical work as well as ensuring progress on the project.
“An effective mechanism should also be developed for close coordination among the relevant departments and stakeholders so as to make this project a successful and exemplary one”, he said and directed the departments concerned to hold regular meetings in order to review the progress made on the project.
He made it clear that developing agriculture sector on modern lines is one of the priority areas and his government is making significant investment for this purpose. The chief minister maintained that the agriculture sector in the province has a lot of potential to providing employment opportunities to the people and incumbent provincial government is working under a comprehensive strategy to utilize this potential in an efficient manner.
