Daily Times

PESHAWAR: The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP), Elementary and Secondary Education (E&SE) Department lagging behind to complete its two major and most needed developmental projects.

The construction of six cluster hostels on need base for female in the province still under process, the project was initiated in the Annual Development Plan 2014-15. Similarly, another important project of the E&SE department, the establishment of the 200 Smart Schools is still pending the department even unable to initiate the construction work on it.

Only one smart school has been established at Lakki Marwat almost in 8 month of the current budget aimed slow pace of education process.

The department has currently establish only one smart school at the province after the department received three quarters out of four in the budget of 2015-16.

Almost all those projects of Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) pertaining to education sector in the province experiencing delaying and incompletion. The PTI government in their speeches talking tall claims of both projects while presenting ongoing annual budget but failed currently to give conclusive touch the projects properly and effectively.

Talking to Daily Times Senior Planning Officer (SPO) Hashmat Ali said that the “130339-Construction of 06 Cluster Hostels (Female) in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa on need basis (Phase-III) included in current ongoing projects. He said that due certain reason including the allocation of land for the hostel at the different region of the province project experienced delay.

Hashmat Ali pointed out that construction work over the hostels in progress at Swat-Kalam, Abbotabad, Bunner and other districts of the province without any halting. As per detail, Education department has received Rs12 billions, three quarters of the current budget on January 2017 and therefore, the department is well equipped in term of fund Hashmat Ali revealed.

Another official of the planning cell at the same department told this scribe on the request of anonymity that the projects including the construction of the hostels and smart schools delayed due to incomplete planning policy of the department. “Education department don’t know how and where to initiate and then complete the projects purely announce for political motive by the PTI government,” he added.

He said the department has no idea to implement the two mega projects but the PTI raising it as tall claim and unaware of the ground realities and compulsion of the education department. It also pertinent to mention here that provincial capital of the province has been excluded from the construction of hostels plan.

Hostels aim to be built at the far plunge areas of the province to facilitate female teachers with keeping in mind the transportation facilities of the area. Peshawar has up to some extent good transport system and female teachers can easily access to their schools on proper time, he added.

Industrial zones: The Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) Government ambitiously monitoring the working on 17 industrial zones of the province with aim to turn the region a complete hub for industries and commerce.

This was said by Abdul Karim, Advisor to Chief Minister for Industry here on Tuesday while chairing a high level meeting to review the progress work of industrial zones of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP), an official handout read.

The statement said that Chief Minister KP Pervez Khattak, eagerly want to complete the zones and facilitate the business community and commerce activities at the province Abdul Karim informed the meeting. Secretary Farakh Hamid, Special Secretary Industry Rokhullah, Additional Secretary Janat Gul, Chief Executive KP Economic Zone Development Management Company Mohsin Syed and other were among the attendants.