Development projects in tribal districts get priority in KP huddle

Additional secretary FATA, secretary planning and development and other high level officials attend the meeting

PESHAWAR:

High-level development projects came under discussion during a meeting which was held by the provincial planning and development department and presided by Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) Finance Minister Taimur Saleem Jhagra on Monday.

During the meeting, it was decided that independent monitoring units would be extended to the merged tribal districts while health insurance cards will be launched in merged tribal districts from January 2019.

The meeting was also attended by additional secretary Federally Administered Tribal  Areas (FATA) and secretary planning and development and other high-level officials. It was decided to spend Rs10 billion in the next six months of the financial year 2018-19.

Public Relations Officer Jhagra Attaullah Khan while talking to the Express Tribune disclosed that Rs1,365 million have been issued for standardisation of 21 higher secondary schools in merged tribal districts and for the construction of 25 sports stadiums in tribal districts.

Sports activities will also be initiated in the tribal districts next year.

For ensuring solar energy in schools, hospitals and mosques, Rs150 million have been allocated, while the KP government has also signed an MOU with a life insurance company for the issuance of Sehat Sahulat cards.



The provincial govt will also be issuing Rs1 billion to Khyber Bank for giving out interest-free loans to unemployed youth of the tribal districts.

For the approval of all these projects, a special provincial working committee will also be meeting the cabinet to convince them.

Earlier, the KP minister stated that the peace and reform seven-member committee of the cabinet constituted a few days ago will be reconstituted after adding bureaucrats in the committee.

He told that separate funds will have be allocated to erstwhile FATA, while a special finance secretary will also be appointed to look after the financial issues of merged tribal districts.