MANSEHRA: Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Assembly Speaker Babar Saleem Swati on Sunday said that the execution of the Rs18 billion gravity flow water supply scheme was underway to address the potable water scarcity issue faced by the people in the city and its suburbs.
“This is one of the mega projects which I have been monitoring and reviewing the progress of, as people have been facing potable water scarcity for decades,” he told reporters.
Swati, who also visited Balakot and offered fateha for the departed soul of Mohammad Javed, who was killed by a police constable last week, said he understood that due to the sinking underground water table, people in the city and its suburbs were facing serious potable water shortages.
However, he added that various small schemes had been launched to meet their water needs until the mega gravity flow project was completed.
“The KP government has launched the Ramazan relief package to provide Rs12,500 to over one million people across the province,” he said.
Swati said that the transfer of money under the newly evolved online mechanism had started, and low-income families, including widows, orphans and people with disabilities, had begun receiving intimation messages.
The speaker said he had constituted a committee to decide on the extension of local governments in the province.
“I expect the committee to submit its report within a day or two, as it has been mandated to accomplish its task within three days,” Swati said.
The KP Assembly speaker said the formation of the committee reflected the government’s clear intention to strictly adhere to the system and constitution.
“This committee is mandated to weigh the legal options regarding whether the extension of the existing local governments could be granted, and how, and then submit its recommendations to me within three days,” Swati said.
