ISLAMABAD: The Central Development Working Party (CDWP) has approved the revised PC-1 for the Booni–Buzund–Torkhow Road at a cost of Rs1.91 billion, bringing renewed hope for the long-awaited infrastructure development in Upper Chitral.
The approval came during a CDWP meeting held on Friday, chaired by Federal Minister for Planning Chaudhry Ahsan Iqbal, who had earlier assured a delegation from Chitral that the revised cost would be approved.
The Chitral delegation was led by former MNA Shahzada Iftikhar Uddin, and the commitment was made during a meeting held in February this year.
Sources confirmed to ChitralToday that on Thursday (June 12), Minister Ahsan Iqbal had directed Secretary Planning Awais Ahmed Samra to formally process the revised PC-1 so it could be tabled for approval in Friday’s meeting.
The Booni–Buzund–Torkhow Road project has a long history. It was first included in the federal budget in 2009 at a cost of Rs280 million through the efforts of then MNA Shahzada Mohiuddin.
Later, during the tenure of Shahzada Iftikhar Uddin as MNA, the project’s PC-1 was revised and increased to Rs1.10 billion in November 2014, again with the support of Chaudhry Ahsan Iqbal, who was also Planning Minister at the time.
With the latest revision to Rs1.91 billion now approved, work on the long-delayed road project is expected to move forward.
“This is a major win for the people of Torkhow who have waited for this road for more than a decade. We are grateful to all those who advocated for this project,” said a local resident.
It may be mentioned here that the Torkhow road project has remained stalled for over 15 years due to non-release of funds and corruption.
The people of Torkhow have been protesting and last month over 50 residents were booked in an FIR after they marched to Booni and held a protest.
The protesters alleged large scale corruption and advance payment to the contractor with no progress on the ground.
Officials of the communication and works department and some political figures in the PTI have been accused of connivance and irregularities in the mega project.