K-P government approves final draft of ADP 2019-20

Projects include prime minister’s housing scheme, extension of health insurance

PESHAWAR: Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa government has finalised a final draft of annual development plans (ADP) 2019-20 offering affordable housing with interest free loans, special developments programmes in newly merged districts and special course outlines for Madrassa students.

Sources within the provincial finance department exclusively disclosed to The Express Tribune Peshawar on Saturday that provincial government has planned annual development plans for settled and merged districts which they termed ‘Umbrella Style’ and has included special programmes for seven merged districts.

The programme is devised to financially empower more, local government systems in tribal districts and settled districts and 30 per cent of all the ADP allocated to local governments.

The draft showed that Rs122 billions allocated for provincial development programmes and development projects while Rs70 billions would be received from foreign countries and other donor agencies.

The ADP also include big projects and important projects like PM discounted housing schemes, extension of provincial health scheme and interest free loans for youths of the provincial included merged districts.

The draft of the ADP stated that a first medical college in tribal districts would be constructed in Kurram tribal district, Mir Ali road construction and water supply scheme in tribal districts also part of the seven districts.

Under the ‘Billion Tree Tsunami, project would be lunched in Waziristan and Bajaur under the title of ‘Green Waziristan and Bajaur projects’.

Under the new elections process in merged districts new residential facilities would be constructed for the post July elections in merged districts and already MPA hostels for the K-P settled districts would he revamped.

The ADP also included transforming the 200 basic health units BHU into a comprehensive and composed health units and upgradation of the existing hospitals in settled and merged districts.

For newly merged districts seven facilitation centers, model science libraries, digital youth skills scheme, under ‘Billions Tree Tsunami’ scheme plantation would be carried out in rural and Urban areas along side the Irrigation lands, hill stations, to make the stations more tourist-friendly while districts of Bajaur and Waziristan would be on such top lists.

To upgrade the health centers in tribal districts, free emergencies services in BHUs are also made part of the ADP.

New schools, universities and training centres have been made part of the SDP while to bring the Madrassa students into the mainstream of education and make them appear more society-friendly a market oriented Rs3,000 million budget has been allocated for it and Rs1,270 million for the welfare of the minorities .

Special package for water supplies schemes, model abattoirs in newly merged districts are also part of the ADP, public parks, bus stations beautification, fruit and vegetable markets in marked districts.

The budget for minorities has been increased from 10 million to 30 million under which the home allowances, Dowry (jahez) packages, and the ADP also included the skills enhancing programme.

The network of Rescue 1122 would be extended to Abbottabad, Mansehra, Swat, Chitral, while degree college Shamzozai and civil hospital Bari Kot to be upgraded, the upgradation of roads Ganeen and Mardan Bairoch and reconstruction in Ambeela Swat are also part of the ADP 2019-20.

Published in The Express Tribune, June 9^th, 2019.