Chief Minister Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Mahmood Khan has directed the concerned authorities for immediate necessary steps to stop unauthorized constructions in Kalam, Kumrat and other tourists’ spots of the province.
He was chairing a meeting here the other day to review progress on various initiatives of the provincial government to boost tourism activities in the province, said an official handout issued here on Sunday.
Member provincial Assembly Mian Sharafat Ali, Principal Secretary to CM Amjad Ali Khan, Secretary Tourism Abid Majeed, Secretary Communications and Works Ijaz Hussain Ansari, Secretary Local Government Mian Shakil Ahmad, Secretary Planning Aamir Tareen and other concerned officials attended the meeting.
The chief minister further directed to expedite work on the construction of access roads to tourist areas of Malakand, Hazara and Southern districts.
The Chief Minister has also directed the quarters concerned to carry out assessment survey of all the rest houses owned by various provincial departments so that suitable rest houses could be handed over to tourism departments to be used for the promotion of tourism activities.
Mahmood Khan directed the high ups of Finance Departments to immediately release the remaining amount of funds to take over the rest houses of Pakistan Tourism Development Corporation by the provincial government so that those rest houses could be utilized for tourism activities without any delay. Taking notice of delay in the implementation on certain tourism access roads projects in Hazara Division, the chair decided to constitute a committee comprising Secretary Tourism, Secretary Communications, Secretary Energy and other concerned officials, and directed the committee members to jointly visit the site of those projects and come up with solid proposals within one month to be placed before the provincial cabinet for consideration.
Briefing the meeting about the progress on the establishment of Special Purpose Development Authorities on tourist areas of provincial it was told that draft act had been cleared by the provincial cabinet to establish Kalam Development Authority on the analogy of Galiyat Development Authority which would soon be tabled in the provincial assembly for enactment.
Similarly, Board of Directors has been notified for Kumrat Development Authority whereas building codes and other related matters of Kumrat Development Authority have been finalized and will be presented to the board for formal approval within one week time. The meeting was informed that work is in progress on the establishment of Kalash Development Authority as well.
Regarding the progress on tourism roads it was told that considerable progress has been made on the construction of various tourism roads in Malakand Division whereas work on the construction of two different roads to the historical tourist spot of southern districts, Shaikh Badeen is also underway as per the given timelines.
It was further apprised that work on the construction of certain tourism roads in Hazara Division is delayed due to some unavoidable reasons, and approval of the provincial cabinet is needed to proceed further in the matter.
The meeting was further informed that on the special directives of the Chief Minister operation is in progress against unauthorized construction activities in Kalam and Kumrat areas, and added that section 144 had been enforced, ban on registry, on fresh construction and on issuance of NoCs by concerned TMAs had been imposed in those areas.
