Key Takeaways
- Constructing one kilometer of road in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa costs around Rs. 70 million.
- The province has built 770 kilometers of roads at a reported cost of Rs. 69 billion.
- Committee raises concerns over contract awarding process and project selection.
During a meeting with the Senate Standing Committee on Economic Affairs, officials from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa informed that constructing one kilometer of road in the province costs approximately Rs. 70 million. The committee reviewed ongoing foreign-funded development projects, including those funded by the Asian Development Bank and the World Bank.
The provincial government has reported spending Rs. 69 billion on building 770 kilometers of roads as part of various projects. However, Senator Saifullah Abro questioned why an additional Rs. 43 billion was included in the overall expenditure. In response, officials stated that this amount covered the construction of bridges linked to the road projects.
The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Road Rehabilitation and Upgradation Project, funded by the Asian Development Bank, has completed the rehabilitation and upgrading of 249.5 kilometers of roads since its signing in 2018. The project is scheduled for completion in October 2026 after spending $146.2 million so far.
Water sector projects worth $387 million are being implemented with support from the Asian Development Bank, while another $295 million in projects are being financed by the World Bank. Officials highlighted that the ADB-funded Flood Emergency Rehabilitation Project, valued at Rs. 15 billion, is expected to be completed by June 2027.
The committee also discussed ongoing work on 143 irrigation, drainage, and flood protection schemes, of which 79 have been completed so far. Around Rs. 12.98 billion has already been spent on these projects.
Committee members raised concerns over the selection of flood rehabilitation projects, stating that reconstruction work did not always match areas most affected by floods. Senator Rubina Khalid highlighted that Mardan received 16 road projects, while Dir saw only 12 kilometers of roads built despite being more severely impacted by flooding.
Senator Hidayatullah questioned why nine roads were constructed in Peshawar, a city not significantly affected by flooding. The officials responded that other companies did not participate in the bidding process and were directed to provide complete details of the tendering process for transparency.
