Secretary Planning and Development Gilgit-Baltistan Atiq-ur-Rehman Shahwani paid a one-day visit to Astore, during which he reviewed various development projects in detail and directed the concerned authorities to ensure timely completion, quality construction and sustainability of the schemes.
Secretary P&D GB reviews development projects at Astore
ASTORE, Sep 21(APP):Secretary Planning and Development Gilgit-Baltistan Atiq-ur-Rehman Shahwani paid a one-day visit to Astore, during which he reviewed various development projects in detail and directed the concerned authorities to ensure timely completion, quality construction and sustainability of the schemes.
During the visit, the Secretary Planning and Development inspected the Astore Valley Road at Khechek, which was damaged by floods, and reviewed the ongoing restoration and construction work.
On the occasion, Acting Deputy Commissioner Astore Muhammad Shoaib gave him a detailed briefing on the restoration of the flood-damaged road, ongoing construction activities and the issues being faced in this regard.
Assistant Commissioner Shounter Tauseeq Ahmed, Executive Engineer of the Works Department Engineer Inamullah and other concerned officers were also present on the occasion.
The Secretary directed the concerned authorities to complete the restoration work on the flood-damaged road according to the prescribed standards and to take into account potential risks of floods and other natural disasters in future during construction so that the road could remain safe, durable and usable for a long period.
He said that quality construction work would not only help reduce travel difficulties faced by the public but also ensure the long-term sustainability of the road.
Later, the Secretary Planning and Development also visited the road connecting Astore city with Rama and reviewed its overall condition.
On the occasion, he directed the concerned authorities to expedite the tendering process for the approved scheme for construction of the Astore-Rama Road, which holds great importance from the tourism perspective, and ensure strict compliance with quality standards and the stipulated timeline during construction.
Earlier, addressing a development conference held with heads of various departments, Secretary Planning and Development Gilgit-Baltistan Atiq-ur-Rehman Shahwani stressed the need to ensure timely completion of all development projects aimed at public welfare so that the people could benefit from these schemes at the earliest.
He said that along with the pace of work, quality must also be ensured at every stage of development projects, as quality and sustainable schemes serve as a foundation for long-term development of the region and improvement in public facilities.
Atiq-ur-Rehman Shahwani said the government initiates various development projects for public welfare and provision of basic facilities; therefore, it was essential for the concerned departments to fulfill their responsibilities by ensuring timely completion, transparency and quality of these projects.
He urged the officers to effectively monitor development projects and ensure that no compromise was made on prescribed construction standards.
He said all officers should perform their official duties with honesty, responsibility and professionalism to ensure effective utilization of public resources and achieve sustainable and long-term benefits from development projects.
The Secretary Planning and Development further said that timely completion of development projects would not only improve the provision of basic facilities to the public but also contribute to the promotion of economic and tourism activities in the region.
