News Details

11/05/2017

Chief Minister Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Pervez Khattak has approved three mega projects of irrigation and agriculture in the backward southern districts of the province

Chief Minister Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Pervez Khattak has approved three mega projects of irrigation and agriculture in the backward southern districts of the province under KP Southern’s Areas Development Programme (KP-SADP). The programme is being launched in 3 districts of Lakki Marwat, Tank and D.I.Khan under a foreign assistance scheme amounting to Rs.2304.059 million. The Chief Minister has asked for early execution of this vital programme besides ensuring its timely and quality completion. The project would irrigate additional 59082 acres of land. Besides bringing vast barren land under cultivation under the Rodkohi and Lift Irrigation systems, tens of hundreds of villages and scattered houses would also be protected from floods devastations and erosions. Pervez Khattak while chairing a follow up meeting at CM Secretariat Peshawar in this regard also directed for environmental improvement and creating maximum jobs for the local youth during and after the completion of the programme. The meeting was attended by concerned MPAs, divisional and districts authorities and administrative secretaries of concerned departments. The Chief Minister expressed the confidence that the programme would greatly contribute in boosting agricultural produce, protecting precious farm lands from erosions and safeguarding the human lives, cattle and properties in surrounding villages from floods during the torrential rains. Similarly he hoped that jobs in agriculture sector would be increased upon executing such crucial schemes and socio economic condition of the people especially the farmers' community would be improved as such. He exhorted that unemployment and backwardness were the root causes of unrest and militancy in the province and henceforth accelerating work on various projects in agriculture, forestry and commerce would greatly help in eliminating the curse of militancy and violent trends among our youth. Similarly, he said that providing extra opportunities to the remotely residing villagers of southern districts in agriculture, live stock, forestry and other sectors would increase their sources of livelihood and their standard of life would also be considerably elevated. The Chief Minister was told that the programme involved three mega schemes of irrigation and agriculture wherein World Bank has provided Rs. 250 million against the provincial government request of Rs.260 million for the purpose. The programme besides other dividends in agriculture sector would also provide jobs to 325000 educated youth to prove their talent in such productive sector accordingly. It was decided in the meeting that the programme would be launched soon after the forthcoming monsoon season to avoid damages to the constructions and development works in Rodkohi and lift irrigation sectors. Its completion would be ensured by May next year within short span of eight months, ensured the authorities concerned. <><><><><><><>