First after merger: K-P cabinet to meet in Khyber district

CM Mahmood Khan asks ministers to visit former tribal areas

PESHAWAR: Chief Minister Mahmood Khan on Wednesday announced holding the next cabinet meeting in the Khyber tribal district Khyber.

This will be the first meeting of provincial cabinet to be conducted in the erstwhile tribal area after its transfer from federal to provincial government following merger into Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa.

“I will give a final schedule to all the provincial ministers to visit and interact with the people of different new districts simultaneously,” he added according to an official statement.

He was presiding over a meeting of the provincial cabinet at Civil Secretariat Peshawar.

The chief minister said that the implementation on the Fata mainstreaming and giving relief to the people is the beginning of the priority set for the merger. He directed to put on ground the cabinet decisions for the benefit of the people. He should be informed of the updates on the cabinet decisions through a tracking system.

Regarding human rights issues, the meeting took up the matter of transgender people in the province.

CM Mahmood directed the ministers to work out a mechanism for protecting and facilitating the transgender people and establishing an endowment fund for their benefit. He directed to ensure the process of implementation on the cabinet decisions. The meeting was attended by provincial ministers, advisors, special assistants, chief secretary, additional chief secretary, administrative secretaries and others.

The chief minister said the decision making for the legislation should have far reaching results for the benefit of the people. The delays in the implementation process spoil the achievements of targets and therefore the public welfare concept stay overshadowed.

He directed that the provincial departments should finalise laws and should be brought to the next cabinet meeting. He directed minister and secretary information to sit with the chief secretary and find out an accelerated solution to the process of strengthening of information department.

Mahmood told the officials concerned to arrange availability of equipment and emergency and other medicines in the secondary healthcare units.

He said that the funds allocated by the provincial government for the provision of medicines and emergency equipment at district level to any given district should be strictly used for that purpose.

The secondary healthcare should be strengthened in order to facilitate the people at local level. The provision of medicines, equipment and allied facilities at district healthcare centres would reduce the burden on tertiary healthcare, he added.

Swat Motorway

Officials assured the CM of infrastructure development for Swat Motorway and upgrading of Peshawar-Islamabad Motorway to international standard.

He directed accelerating motorway policing system at Swat Motorway. He said that the widening of road communication from Char to Elum would have a significant impact which would interlink Mardan, Swabi, Buner with Swat and would promote tourism.

The chief minister said that the creation of new districts should be need driven based on the population and area. He constituted a committee to make recommendations within three months.

He also asked the committee to assess the technical allowance for the engineers and frame up recommendations for bringing unanimity. He also directed to prepare rules of business for the ombudsman for protection and empowerment of women folk. He also directed for rapid recruitment under Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa Urban Mobility Authority.

He also directed to immediately acquire land for the LPG Air Mixing Plant for district Chitral. He also directed to look to the three dimensional approach for the use of Fata House Islamabad. The committee should review the revenue generation, promotion of tourism and the expansion of representation to the newly merged districts of the erstwhile Fata and make solid recommendations in this regard, he stressed.

The CM directed taking all out steps for the protection and welfare of transgender people and establishing an endowment fund for them.

He also issued directive for using Rs500 million out of forest development fund for the billion tree tsunami project.

Published in The Express Tribune, January 3^rd, 2019.