Online
Mardan
Term it inability of the government or discriminatory approach, Mardan district which pays the highest revenue to the country in term of paying various taxes, never remains in the priority list of the provincial and central governments.
Mardan’s agricultural production and natural resources are also being used for the benefit and development of the country and the nation and it also pays billion rupees tax in Tobacco, Sugarcane and other crops.
But despite of this handsome contribution, Mardan is the most neglected and poor district of KP in education, health and other fields while majority of the opposition parties remained silent on this discriminatory approach with Mardan.
Former chief minister Ameer Haider Hoti in the previous Awami National Party and Pakistan People’s Party collusion government has started several development projects in the district, especially in education, health, infrastructure (roads / buildings), irrigation, agriculture and other social sectors.
However in 2013 when Pakistan Tehreek-Insaf (PTI) came in power in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Pervez Khattak was elected the chief minister. The PTI government has ignored Mardan and also stopped or reduced funds for all mega projects started in ANP government.
Funds of these projects were shifted to other priority districts. The PTI governments have released a few crores of rupees for old projects and started some new projects during 2013-2018 and 2018-2020.
As a result, no project was completed, but delays and inflation increased construction costs by more than 50% which make billions of rupees. Thus, on the one hand, the provincial treasury face damaged and the people were deprived of the facilities due to the incompleteness of these projects.
Mardan is the central district and city of the Peshawar valley and is the gateway to the northern. The districts of Swabi, Nowshera, Charsadda and Malakand divisions are still dependent on the existing education and health facilities in Mardan. The masses of Mardan demanded the provincial government to release funds for these projects and immediately complete it.
