To develop the tourism sector and remove the backwardness of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Chief Minister KP Mehmood Khan gave approval to the establishment of the Shangla Development Authority (SDA).
According to the sources, Provincial Minister for Labour and Parliamentary Affairs Shaukat Yousafzai had a detailed meeting with the chief minister and briefed him about the beauty and tourism potential of Shangla district if developed on modern lines and special attention is paid to the area.
He stated that because of the inattention of the governments in the past, it failed to develop and prosper and the local people suffered.
At present, because of the lack of employment opportunities, 70 percent of the youth from the district are compelled to work in coal mines, which is considered a high-risk and low-income job in Pakistan where lives are often lost due to casualties in pits.
Yousafzai also requested the chief minister that SDA should be formed to bring the district on par with the developed districts of the province and to make tourism promotion possible there.
In response, CM KP Khan approved the establishment of the authority and asked for an immediate summary from relevant officials in this regard.
Moreover, Yousafzai said that CM has left no stone unturned in the development of the Shangla district for the first time since the creation of Pakistan.
For this purpose, provision of funds for paved roads and clean drinking water, the establishment of Shangla University, approval of Rescue 1122, upgrading of various schools, Olander basic health unit (BHU), Basham THQ Hospital, up-grading of Alpuri District Headquarters Hospital, Kana Degree College and now the establishment of Shangla Development Authority are important developments, he continued.
Yousafzai added that providing all basic facilities to the people of Shangla, decent employment and making the best infrastructure has always remained at the priority of the PTI government in the province.
He further said that efforts are underway to develop all the backward areas on a priority basis.
Yousafzai maintained that the rehabilitation of the flood-affected people is a big challenge in the province and despite this difficulty, the federal imported government is busy in conspiracies against the province instead of extending a helping hand.