PESHAWAR: The Provincial Development Working Party (PDWP) in its meeting on Thursday approved 24 development projects with an estimated cost of Rs12.42 billion.

The forum, chaired by additional chief secretary Mohammad Azam Khan, discussed a total of 28 projects from the higher education, elementary and secondary education, communication and works, health, social welfare and transport departments and the Peshawar High Court.

In higher education sector, the approved projects included upgradation of Haripur sub-campus of the University of Haripur, provision of funds for security measures in government colleges and Pak-Austria Institute of Science and Technology at the University of Haripur.

In elementary and secondary education sector, the approved projects included standardisation of 200 higher secondary schools across the province. In road sector, the forum approved reconstruction of Muzhgol suspension bridge and restoration of flood-affected roads and bridges and Reshun power house in Chitral district; establishment of project implementation unit for the Asian Development Bank-funded provincial roads rehabilitation project under the Pakhtunkhwa Highways Authority, construction of road connecting upper/lower Galiyat via PirSohawa to Islamabad, PC-II for engineering design of Peshawar Bus Rapid Transit Project Corridor-2, Jamrud Road, etc.

In health sector, the approved projects included improvement of emergency services in all the teaching and other hospitals of Peshawar and DHQ hospitals across the province, treatment of poor cancer patients (Phase-II) and some other projects. — Bureau Report