Costs of Torkhow, Shandur road projects revised to Rs.3.32 billion

ISLAMABAD, Nov 6: The Central Development Working Party (CDWP) has approved the revised cost of the Booni-Buzund (Torkhow) and Booni-Shandur road projects from Rs.7.6 million to Rs.3.32 billion.

MNA Shahzada Iftikhar Uddin in a press statement said the approval was given at a meeting held at the Planning Commission. During the meeting called on the request of MNA Iftikhar Uddin, Member Infrastructure at Ministry of Planning Development and Reforms, Malik Ahmad Khan, approved the revised costs of the two projects.

It may be noted that in the long drawn process towards the restart of work on the two major Infrastructure projects in Upper Chitral, to be funded by the federal government, one more meeting is is to be held (that of the CDWP) since all objections have been cleared at the Pre CDWP Meeting held on 24th October.

In another development on Nov 5, 2014, the MNA also managed to have the federal minister for planning and development, Chaudhry Ahsan Iqbal, sign an application requesting the minister to include the two road projects in the next CDWP meeting agenda to be chaired by the minister himself. After getting the minister’s approval the MNA has submitted the signed request to the Secretary Planning & Development Mr. Hassan Nawaz Tarar for official inclusion in the next CDWP meeting. The 18 months struggle of the MNA to get to this stage started on 6th Sept 2013 (last year) followed by his call for early completion of the inquiry reports on both the Shandur and Torkhow Roads.

The MNA has also asked the Government to Federalize the 370 km of Chitral to Gilgit Road by handing the road to the National Highway Authority. The MNA has also requested the government to also federalize the 82 km Chitral to Dorah Pass (Garam Chashma Road). The next CDWP meeting is expected to also discuss the options of NHA, C&W or FWO implementing the Torkhow and Shandur Roads. The MNA is trying his level best to have the major projects approved ASAP.

In summer 2014, the MNA shared the inquiry reports of the Torkhow and Shandur Roads with the people of Shagram and Laspur where public were informed about the recovery of money from six contractors at Shandur Road. It must be noted that all six contractors involved in the Shandur road project were blacklisted.

Getting development work back on track after a lapse of eight years on Shandur and after a lapse of three years on Torkhow road had been a huge challenge for the MNA Chitral as it took seven months for inquiries to be completed for which the MNA had first met Arbab Shahzad the then Chief Secretary KPK on 27th September 2013. That was followed by his two meetings with Chief Minister Mr. Pervez Khattak on 3rd and 10th December 2013 respectively.

Furthermore Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif was separately approached besides the Minister Planning Development & Reforms Mr. Ahsan Iqbal who the MNA met at least on more than 40 occasions in the same connection. Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif had on 8th April 2014 issued directives for inclusion in Federal Public Service Development Programme (PSDP).