MANSEHRA: The district development advisory committee on Wednesday asked the communication and works department to immediately begin work on the construction of a bypass in Mansehra.
The directions were issued during a meeting held here with DDAC chairman MPA Wajiuz Zaman Khan in the chair.
Among participants were the representatives of local government, lawmakers and heads of devolved departments from Mansehra, Balakot and Oghi tehsils, who discussed the development schemes under way in the district.
The Rs3 billion Data Bypass Road project has been designed to ease traffic in Mansehra.
Mr Zaman told the meeting here that as the initial survey and demarcation of land being acquired for the project had been completed at a cost of Rs50 million, the communication and works department would soon begin work on it at the cost of Rs3 billion.
He asked the department to send the survey reportto the chief minister for the release of the sanctioned funds.
`This is a highly important project, which will easemassive traffic on the Karakoram Highway and Mansehra-Naran-Jalkhad Road,` he said.
The DDAC chairman said the Data Bypass Road to be linked to Shinkiari Road and Kashmir Road would be a great relief for motorists and transporters, who remained stuck in traffic jams for hours while coming in or leaving Mansehra city.
He said he wanted an early completion of all ongoing development projects to the benefit of better civic services.
The DDAC also approved many other development projects for Mansehra.
Meanwhile, the ulema and religious leaders have demanded strict action against `those maligning` seminaries.
The demand was made during a special function held in Balakot on Wednesday, where clerics from across the district turned up in large numbers.
Wafaqu1 Madaris Pakistan general secretary Maulana Abdul Rasheed insisted seminaries promoted peace and interfaith harmony but seminaries but a lobby influenced by antiIslamic forces was spreading false propaganda against them.
He urged the government to defend local seminaries nationally and internationally.
Former senator Maulana Hidayatullah Shah demanded the government crack down on those spreading false propaganda against seminaries.
