Peshawar: Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Minister for Local Government and Rural Development Faisal Amin Khan Gandapur has clearly directed the local government authorities to make town planning an integral part of urban development keeping all the future needs of the people dwelling there.

He was speaking at separate meetings with local government officials and heads of areas development authorities at his office Civil Secretariat Peshawar. On this occasion, the Minister for Local Government gave them guidelines in accordance with the policies of the provincial government and directed them to strictly implement it as per its true spirit.

The Minister clarified that the present PTI-led government under the leadership of Chief Minister Mahmood Khan has initiated urban planning as per the needs of the province for the next several decades.

He, however, lashed out the criminal negligence of the previous rulers regarding environment and said that Prime Minister Imran Khan, realizing the delicacy of the situation, played sincere role in making the environment pleasant and tackling the climate change woes, which is also his long standing vision, he added.

“The fact is there that due to poor planning in the past, the environmental hazards and contaminations of our residential and industrial settlements have started affecting the urban as well as rural life which we will now have to address on priority basis and considerable improvement has so far been made”, he maintained.

Sardar Faisal Amin Gandapur in response to the presentation given to him by Shah Jahan Khan, Project Director, Dera Development Authority, expressed satisfaction that a full-fledged tree plantation campaign is being carried out in Dera Township this year as in the past.

In addition to the Double Road, targets have been set to plant over 1000 big trees in the A, B, C and D sectors of Dera Town and around the parks in the next and building structures in the coming one and half months and then plant more trees in days to come.

On this occasion, the minister contacted the DFO of Forest Department DIK and directed him to extend full support to Dera Development Authority in carrying out its vigorous tree plantation campaigns.

He also stressed the need to ensure the active participation of local people in all development activities, including tree planting, so that every such process can be completed successfully besides having its far reaching results as well.

The provincial minister appreciated the steps taken to open the choked drainage system in the township and also to establish drainage, street lights and drinking water facilities on modern scientific basis.

He further directed to solarize street lights, health, educational centers and government offices that, he said, in addition to saving energy and funds, would also ensure uninterrupted power supply and mitigate the problems faced by the citizens due to load shedding.