by Shafqat Ali 

 

ISLAMABAD, October 22(Gwadar Pro)- Prime Minister Imran Khan said on Thursday afternoon that construction of Lift-cum-Gravity project of Chashma Right Bank Canal (CRBC) under the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) would be a real game changer for the socioeconomic uplift of a vast area in southern Khyber Pakhtunkhaw province.

 

Chairing a meeting on integrated agriculture and development plan for Khyber Pakhtunkhaw, especially CPEC’s CRBC, the Prime Minister maintained that the completion of the Pakistani Rs 120 billion project would mean a new life for the huge areas of barren land.

 

“Once completed, the (CPEC) project would irrigate around 300,000 acres of barren land in Khyber Pakhtunkhaw. This would not only ensure food security in the region but would also earn huge foreign exchange reserves for the country by exporting agricultural produce to the Middle East,"he added.

 

The Prime Minister directed the authorities concerned to adopt effective measures to boost corporate farming in the area. “It would not only raise income levels of the farmers in the area but would also kick start integrated development by eradicating poverty, eliminating hunger and ensuring good education, health care and other civic facilities for the local population,” the PM remarked.

 

The PM stressed that “we need to exploit the full potential of vast natural resources in the area for the socio-economic uplift of our people.” Alternative financial models for the construction of the mega development project of Chashma Right Bank Lift Canal (CRBC) were also discussed in the meeting, according to the official details released by the PM’s Office.

 

The meeting was attended by Energy Minister Muhammad Hammad Azhar, Advisor on Commerce Abdul Razzak Dawood, Khyber Pakhtunkhaw Finance Minister Taimoor Saleem Jhagra, Khyber Pakhtunkhaw Agriculture Minister Mohib Ullah, Chairman National Highway Authority (NHA) Khurram Agha, Chairman Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) Dr Muhammad Ashfaq Ahmed and other concerned senior officers.

 

This article originally appeared on Gwadar Pro.