PESHAWAR:The Government of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa can save up to five billion rupees per year in construction costs in the merged areas of the province, a recent research study has revealed.
The study, conducted with the assistance of the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), suggests establishing field testing labs at the district level, and a real-time monitoring system for timely resolution of problems.
According to a press release issued here on Wednesday, the findings were shared at a dissemination event held in Peshawar, where a report was launched on the provincial government’s Special Emphasis Programme (SEP) titled ‘The Road to Better Service Delivery in Merged Areas of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa – Improving Infrastructure Development.’
“Field testing labs at the district level will offer a cost-effective, time-saving and context-specific solution to accelerate development in the merged areas, whereas the real-time performance management system will help identify, and immediately resolve administrative and technical challenges,” said Raluca Eddon, Programme Manager of UNDP Pakistan’s Merged Areas Governance Programme.
The intervention was piloted in districts Orakzai, Kurram and Khyber in August 2021 as part of the KP government’s Accelerated Implementation Programme (AIP), designed specifically to augment the economic development of the merged areas.
A total of 64 projects were monitored as part of the intervention. The results show a possible saving of more than five billion rupees per annum, if the SEP is applied at the district level.
Elaborating on the significance of SEP, KP Communication and Works (C&W) Department Chief Engineer Muhammad Uzair said, “The unique and diverse geographical terrain of the merged areas requires an innovative approach towards infrastructure development.
The SEP offers an insight to make it quicker and cost-effective.” He appreciated the C&W department for building durable roads and pathways that improved people’s everyday commute.
Infrastructure development is one of the key sectors the provincial government is focusing on, through a rather inclusive AIP-II that carries the public’s input and suggestions.
The department is currently considering the SEP study findings to improve the speed and cost-effectiveness of construction projects that will create short-term employment and promote economic growth in the region.