AJK Govt Approves Major Development Projects

The Azad Jammu and Kashmir Cabinet Development Committee on Tuesday approved 44 development projects worth more than Rs34.85 billion across several sectors, including infrastructure, health, education, energy, and information technology. The meeting, chaired by Raja Faisal Mumtaz Rathore, focused on equipping youth with modern IT skills, improving basic public services, strengthening the healthcare system, and expanding the road network across Azad Jammu and Kashmir. According to officials, 35 projects were approved for the Communications and Works Department, while four relate to the health sector and three to elementary and secondary education. Two projects were approved for energy and water resources, while one project each was allocated to the information technology, food, and higher education sectors. The initiatives include the construction of 30 kilometers of link roads in each of the 33 constituencies across AJK, the establishment of IT excellence centers to create employment opportunities for youth, and the construction of grid stations at Patikka in Muzaffarabad and Jabi in Bhimber. The development plan also includes the construction of additional classrooms in primary schools to address infrastructure gaps. In addition, wheat flour storage warehouses will be built at multiple locations to improve food storage capacity. Addressing the meeting, Prime Minister Rathore said improving health, education, and infrastructure remains among the government's top priorities. He added that the projects were designed to ensure better facilities for both urban and remote communities. Separately, the prime minister also chaired a meeting to review development spending under the Annual Development Program (ADP) up to the third quarter ending March 31. During the briefing, Planning and Development Secretary Aamir Latif Awan informed officials about fund utilization, progress on projects under the Public Sector Development Program (PSDP), and remaining allocations. Rathore directed all departments to ensure 100 percent utilization of allocated development funds, stressing that the government would not compromise on the quality or pace of development projects.