SWAT: Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Government claims to promote tourism but withdraw 2 billion rupees approved by former Chief Minister Mehmood Khan for discovering new tourist places in Swat, from the present budget and the work on this important project has been stopped.
” In this project approved to promote tourism, 10 crore rupees were allocated for the construction and development of Mahodand Lake. Under this project, PC-1 for exploring new tourism in Kalam Valley and other areas of Bahrain Tehsil was prepared and the first phase was completed and Forty crores of rupees were also released for this.”
These projects include 2 billion rupees for tourism and the Safe City Swat project. These projects were approved by the Ex. Chief Minister Mehmood Khan during the former Tehreek-e-Insaf government and the work on them was formally started.
For various tourism projects, Upper Swat Tourism Development Authority was approved to provide 1 billion 91 crore rupees, but this amount is also not included in this budget. Withholding this amount, the Upper Swat Tourism Authority is feared to be inactive.
Apart from tourism, 15 important projects in Swat district which have been completed at a cost of more than 18 billion 25 crore rupees have also been removed from the ADP scheme and now these projects will end up being delayed despite spending billions of rupees.
“The current PTI government has also removed these projects from the ADP scheme by completely ignoring them in the recent budget.”
Among these development projects, construction of agricultural complex at a cost of 69 crore rupees, solarization of 100 mosques at a cost of 1 billion rupees, construction of several offices of government offices at a cost of 3 billion 41 crore rupees, Institute for Rehabilitation of Disabled Persons, Wards, James Center, Private Wards, Physical Therapy Center for Paralysis, Stroke, Head Injury Block and Khyber Medical University Institute for Health Science costing Rs 4 billion 10 crore. Government Institute of Management Science at a cost of Rs.44 crore, Safe City Project Swat at a cost of Rs.47 crore, purchase of land for Small Industrial Estate for which Rs.10 crore was allocated. Construction of Venai Gut Road at a cost of Rs. 1 billion 42 crores, construction of Venai to Biakan Road at a cost of Rs. 29 crores, construction of Regional Transport Authority at a cost of Rs. 20 crores and construction of Regional Transport Authority at a cost of Rs. 1.5 billion and Projects like purchase of land for DSSC were included.
The people of Swat also voted for Tehreek-e-Insaf in the general elections of February 8 and PTI swept it. But despite 8 Provincial Assembly and 3 National Assembly members, these important and public projects have been terminated.
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