CM Gandapur warns against unnecessary cost revisions in development projects

PESHAWAR
Chief Minister Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Ali Amin Gandapur, chaired a high-level meeting to review the progress of ongoing development projects across various departments in the province. The meeting was attended by the Chief Minister’s Advisor on Finance, the Chief Secretary, Additional Chief Secretaries, and the relevant administrative secretaries.
According to an official handout, the meeting focused on the status of development projects under the Annual Development Program (ADP), covering key sectors including health, education, local government, communications, agriculture, and public health engineering.
In a major development, the Chief Minister directed the immediate release of Rs 13 billion to ensure the timely completion of 511 crucial development projects by June this year. These projects, nearing completion, are considered essential for public welfare.
“All projects close to completion by the end of the current financial year must be finalized and removed from the ADP,” Gandapur ordered, emphasizing that unnecessary delays would not be tolerated. He warned of strict action against officials responsible for any obstruction in the timely completion of these initiatives.
“Delays not only hurt public interest but also lead to the wastage of taxpayer money,” the Chief Minister stated, further directing that unnecessary revisions in project costs be avoided. He announced that regular inquiries would be conducted into any such cost changes.
In addition to completing ongoing projects, the Chief Minister also approved the immediate initiation of work on 29 flagship projects of the current government. For this purpose, Rs 12 billion will be released within the current month.
“This is the first time in the province’s history that an additional Rs 30 billion, beyond the initially allocated funds, is being released to fast-track development efforts,” Gandapur highlighted. The meeting also reviewed the current utilization of previously released development funds. Authorities were instructed to ensure a 100 percent utilization rate and avoid any lapses in fund deployment. “The funds required for the timely completion of all development projects will be provided on a priority basis,” the Chief Minister concluded.