Abbottabad: Commissioner Hazara Division Shahid Ullah Khan on Tuesday directed all departments to ensure the timely completion of ongoing development projects with transparency and strict adherence to quality standards, while ordering the elimination of the tout system from government offices and the establishment of complaint cells to facilitate the public.
Chairing a review meeting on the progress of mega and high-impact development projects in Abbottabad and Haripur, the Commissioner instructed the relevant departments to promptly report issues affecting priority projects to resolve the issues.
The meeting was attended by Deputy Commissioner Abbottabad, Sarmad Saleem Akram, Deputy Commissioner Haripur Islahuddin, and senior officials of the Communication and Works, Irrigation, and Public Health Engineering departments.
The participants reviewed the progress of mega projects, buildings, roads, irrigation schemes, small dams, parks, and other development initiatives in Abbottabad and Haripur, besides discussing budget releases, fund utilization, land acquisition, and other issues affecting project implementation.
Shahid Ullah Khan directed the Communication and Works Department to obtain prior approval from landowners or the district administration before initiating construction work on any project site. He emphasized that all departments should work in close coordination and complete development projects on schedule without compromising construction quality or transparency.
The Commissioner said issues relating to funding would be addressed, but stressed that departments must ensure timely and efficient utilization of allocated funds to enable the government to process requests for additional grants where required.
Referring to the directives of the Chief Secretary of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, he instructed all government departments to eliminate the tout system from public offices and ensure the prompt resolution of citizens’ grievances. He also directed the establishment of complaint cells in offices with heavy public footfall to improve public service delivery and facilitate timely resolution of complaints.