RECORDER REPORT

PESHAWAR: Pakhtunkhwa Highways Council has approved Annual Maintenance Plan of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Highways Authority (PkHA) for the financial year 2021-22.

The approval was given in 20th meeting of the PkHA held here with Chief Minister Mahmood Khan in the chair. During the meeting the authority was directed to submit a detailed report on the funds allocated under the Maintenance Plan of the last financial year along with the maintenance work done. The maintenance plan will cost Rs. 1672 million out of which Rs. 1200 million will be provided by the provincial government while Rs. 472 million will be provided by PkHA from its own resources.

Under the annual plan maintenance work will be ensured of about 3,000-KM of roads and highways across the province, which include emergent works, rehabilitation of flood-affected roads, construction of new toll plazas, construction of field office for PkHA and other operational works. The meeting after detailed discussion on PkHA’s proposed budget for the financial year 2021-22, decided to present it in the provincial cabinet.

The council has also decided in principle to make necessary amendments in the PkHA Act to authorize the Highways Council to approve the annual budget of PkHA on the analogy of other autonomous bodies of the provincial government, and the concerned authorities has directed to present the amendments to the provincial cabinet for consideration

The council also decided to put in place an effective mechanism to control overloading of freight vehicles on PkHA-managed highways and the concerned departments were directed to sit together and evolve a strategy to this end. Furthermore, the Council approved the provincialization of four different roads to ensure their better management and maintenance. These roads include 35 km Sheringal Patrak Road, 126 km Topi Buner Road, 85 km Thakot Darband Road and 61 km Bannu Miranshah Road. The meeting also approved the creation of new posts required to strengthen PkHA and increase its capacity.

The provincial government under the annual development programme (ADP) will initiate work on six highway projects at a total cost of more than Rs. 6 billion while two major road projects under PkHA have also been included in the AIP including dualization of Bannu - Miranshah Road and improvement of Thal - Para Chinar Road to be completed with a total cost of Rs 8.6 billion.