Work launched on Abbottabad-Murree road expansion project

 KP CM renews pledge for real change

ABBOTTABAD: Chief Minister Pervez Khattak Sunday said that Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) believed in real change.

Addressing as chief guest at the stone foundation laying ceremony of expansion of Abbottabad-Muree Road Project here at Muree Road on Sunday, he said that the PTI-led government in Khyber Pukhtunkhwa had started long-term plans for which billions of rupees projects had been started.

Giving the details of his government priorities, he said it had succeeded in making change in the police department. He said changing the patwari culture was his second priority along with improvement in the health and education sectors.

The chief minister admitted that despite spending Rs80 billion on salaries in the education sector, they were still behind targets and the results were discouraging. However, he said with the effective check and balance system introduced in KP, the government would achieve the goals. He said the strength of teachers and rooms at primary level had been increased.

Pervez Khattak said land/revenue record of two districts had been computerised and that of remaining districts would be computerised by 2017.

In the health sector, he said Rs5 billion had been released for the upgrading and renovation of the machinery and equipment at the hospitals with the three time higher increase in salaries for doctors.

In major hospitals, he explained, the government was now going to constitute the local boards, which would take on the spot decisions and bring revolutionary changes in the health sector.

The chief minister said his government had introduced merit. “Now things were moving in the right direction due to good governance,” he added.

He said that currently four institutions were taking job of monitoring. These include Anti-Corruption Department, National Accountability Bureau, Ehtesab Commission and Chief Minister’s Inspection Team, he added.

In forest area, Pervez Khattak said that under the billion tree project, KP government had set a record by planting 20 million saplings.

The chief minister announced a donation of Rs50 million for the purchase of land for graveyard. He asked the local lawmakers to follow the ideology of PTI chief Imran Khan by improving service delivery.

Minister for food Qalandar Khan Lodhi, advisor to chief minister on information Mushtaq Ahmed Ghani, Member Provincial Assembly Sardar Muhammad Idrees, MNA Dr Azhar Khan Jadoon  and PTI local leader Ali Khan Jadoon also spoke on the occasion.