Besides, Rs5.2 billion worth of road projects were in the pipeline and waited for approval for which Rs250 million have been allocated in the next financial year. A look at the documents by ChitralToday showed that Rs4215.640 million have been set aside for the Lowari tunnel access roads project in the Dir side. For this project, a total amount of Rs26855 million had been approved by the Executive Committee of the National Economic Council (ECNEC) on Aug 22, 2016. A sum of Rs21805.815 million was to be spent on the project till June 30, 2017. An amount of Rs200 million has been allocated for the metalling of road linking Chitral and Gilgit (improvement /B.T of Booni-Mastuj-Shandur road) revised project. The total estimated cost of this project was Rs2323.914 million which was approved by the Central Development Working party (CDWP) on March 9, 2015. However, only Rs257.750 million could be spent on the project till the end of the outgoing budget. Besides, Rs1,000 have been earmarked for the construction of the 67 km Chitral-Garam Chashma road and its approval was under process by the CDWP. The project costing Rs4758.174 million would cost about Rs8661 million out of which only Rs40 million were spent in the outgoing fiscal year ending on June 30. For the construction of the Chitral-Ayun-Bumburate road, which would cost a total of Rs4758.170 million, a sum of Rs1,000 has been proposed which is under the process of approval. On this project too, Rs40 million were to be spent by June 30 this year. Unapproved projects An amount of Rs200 million have been allocated in the forthcoming budget for the Rs22 billion Gilgit-Shandur-Chitral-Chakdara road project which is yet to be approved. Similarly, Rs50 million have been promised for the widening and blacktopping of Terich to Lot Owir road on which four bridges would also be built. The total cost of this project is estimated to be Rs3,000 million and it is still unapproved, the documents showed. For the Chitral hydel power station capacity enhancement from one MW to five MW, R67 million have been set aside. The total cost of the project is Rs2188.835 million which was approved by the CDWP on Nov 10, 2016. (Published in ChitralToday on May 27, 2017, by Zar Alam Khan).]]>
