KP districts achieve major service delivery targets, conference told

PESHAWAR
Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Secretary Shahab Ali Shah on Friday chaired the eighth online District Service Delivery Conference, where district administrations reported significant progress on key public service delivery targets across the province.
The meeting was attended by the senior member Board of Revenue, additional chief secretaries, administrative secretaries, divisional commissioners, deputy commissioners and other senior officials.
Officials informed the conference that under Phase 1 of the District Service Delivery programme, districts had achieved 91 per cent of the assigned targets, while 75pc of the targets under Phase 2 had also been completed through coordinated efforts of district administrations and provincial departments.
According to officials, Shangla, Karak, Abbottabad, Lower South Waziristan and Mohmand showed notable improvement since the previous conference.
The meeting reviewed progress on civic and social indicators, including tourist washrooms, ponding points, cattle markets, sewer trunks, bus stands and vegetable markets, as well as welfare initiatives such as Zamung Kor.
Officials also reported improvements in waste collection systems, the functioning of Service Delivery Centres and tehsil offices, and manhole fixation work.
The chief secretary directed all district administrations and departments to ensure cleanliness arrangements ahead of Eidul Azha and complete preparations in advance. He also instructed authorities to monitor outsourced school facilities to improve standards in underperforming institutions.
The conference was informed that all deputy commissioners had met the benchmark of conducting 32 monthly visits to government facilities for monitoring and inspection.
The Local Government Department briefed participants on digitisation initiatives aimed at improving manhole fixation and cleanliness tracking systems. Officials said nerve centres had also been established in Dera Ismail Khan and Malakand to strengthen coordination and monitoring.
The meeting further reviewed beautification and innovation projects launched in various districts. Officials said 14 projects had been completed so far, while work on 121 additional initiatives was under way.
Among the projects highlighted were the establishment of a park near the DHQ Hospital in Battagram, renovation of Shahi Masjid in Jung Bazaar in Lower Chitral, beautification of Kalma Jahaz Chowk in Dera Ismail Khan, renovation of the district secretariat in Lower Dir and improvement of road infrastructure on AC Road in Lower Kohistan.
Other initiatives included construction of a District Town Complex in Lakki Marwat, installation of streetlights at Khashti Pul in Nowshera, establishment of a riverbank reading room in Swabi, rehabilitation programmes for drug addicts in Bajaur and telemedicine and youth freelancing initiatives in Battagram and Charsadda.
Training programmes in travel guide and hotel management in Upper Dir, establishment of a drug rehabilitation centre in Dargai, a mosque help desk initiative in Mohmand and rescue and relief training for youth in Torghar are also in progress, officials added.