MIRPUR (AJK): Azad Jammu Kashmir (AJK) Cabinet Development Committee in an extraordinary meeting on Friday approved 33 development projects worth of Rs. 16.320 million.
A meeting of the committee held under the chairmanship of Prime Minister Sardar Tanveer Ilyas Khan at PM Secretariat.
The meeting attended by Ministers, Government Advisers, Parliamentary Secretaries, Chief Secretary, and Heads of the relevant Departments. The CDC meeting discussed in detail the plans for construction of 620 km roads under Kashmir Development Package. The meeting approved
220 kms of highways for southern districts including Kotli, Bhimber and Mirpur and 400 kms of highways for constituencies falling under the jurisdiction of northern districts Poonch, Bagh, Muzaffarabad, Neelum, Jhelum, Sadhnauti and Haveli.
In addition, the meeting gave approval for reconditioning of the 18 km road from Chattar Class to Duna College Muzaffarabad. Additional Chief Secretary Development Dr. Sajid Mehmood Chouhan briefed the Cabinet Development Committee regarding the plans.
Speaking on the occasion, the Prime Minister Sardar Tanveer Ilyas Khan while stressing the need for timely completion of the projects, directed the authorities to make no compromise on standard and quality in the construction of roads.
To avoid landslides the PM said that trees should be planted along the roadsides to prevent landslides.
“Roads must be designed in the best possible manner and the tourism department should also be taken on board in this regard so that the construction of new roads would facilitate access to tourist places”, he said adding that weighing scales should be installed on all main highways so that overloaded vehicles do not damage the roads.
In order to ensure transparency, the PM said that the projects should be reviewed by a third party so that quality could be maintained and projects would be completed as per specifications.
Regarding the federal government’s decision of slashing AJK’s budget, he said, “Given the political sensitivities, Azad Kashmir cannot afford what the federal government is going to do with regard to the region’s budget”. The AJK, he said, cannot afford any budgetary cuts.
“Consultations on the matter are still going on, however, if our funds are slashed, we will not present the budget”, he said.
Finance Minister Abdul Majeed Khan who was present in the meeting said that propaganda was being carried out regarding a no-confidence motion against the prime minister. “We reject this baseless and disinformation campaign”, he added.
Reacting to the finance minister’s assertions, the PM made it clear that the PTI was the majority party with 32 seats in the legislative assembly. Azad Kashmir , he said, could neither afford political instability nor would we allow any such thing to happen in the state.
On this occasion, the ministers present in the meeting reposed their full trust in the leadership of Prime Minister Sardar Tanveer Ilyas Khan saying that the entire cabinet and parliamentary party stood by the Prime Minister. Ends/app/ahr