Representational image. PHOTO: REUTERS
PESHAWAR: After achieving the milestone of merging the erstwhile Federal Administered Tribal Areas (FATA) with Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (K-P), the provincial government is set to accomplish another landmark by conducting the local bodies elections in the newly-merged districts of the province in the year 2020.
The sub-divisions of the merged districts have been turned into Tehsil Municipal Administration (TMAs) and the recruitment of administrative staff for the purpose has also been started.
The K-P government has already developed relevant plans and has allocated sufficient funds for furnishing the TMAs with basic equipment and tools for the provision of municipal services to the people of merged districts.
Apart from taking care of the administrative aspects of the TMAs, the provincial government has also launched a Local Government Ambassador Programme or “Safeer-e-Baldiyat” to create awareness among the local people of the merged districts regarding the local government (LG) polls.
Talking to The Express Tribune, a communications expert at the LG Department Adnan Khan said that the ambassador programme will help strengthen the democratic process in the merged districts and will foster integration through public participation in local governments.
“The programme will raise awareness among the citizens of the merged districts regarding key developments as part of the merger process. It will also help improve people's knowledge about the local government system and its benefits for the masses,” he said.
“Besides, the programme will increase citizens’ participation in local government electoral processes and promote responsible citizenship among the residents of merged districts in terms of their roles and responsibilities in local governance.”
He said that the young ambassadors chosen for the purpose have been equipped with the right skills to deliver the campaign through capacity building initiatives.
“The LG ambassadors will conduct four types of community sessions, including seminars in educational institutions aimed at students and teachers, sessions in households with women, and discussions at jirga halls with the male members of the society.”
“For the purpose, 120 ambassadors, including 89 males and 31 females, are being deployed in all the 702 village councils and neighbourhood councils (VCNCs) of the merged districts.”
Adnan Khan added that the community sessions will target around 72,000 individuals, out of which 25% will be women, through a total of 3,600 community sessions.
“The aim of this voters’ education campaign is based on a face-to-face dialogue model with communities at large and the youth in particular,” he said.
Shedding light on the matter, K-P’s Special Assistant to the Chief Minister on Local Government and Rural Development Kamran Khan Bangash said that the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) government is making history by giving the people of the erstwhile FATA their due rights through a merger with K-P after 70 years of neglect and ignorance.
“The PTI government will ensure that the people of the erstwhile FATA, who have been deprived of their democratic liberties for so long, will now be able to enjoy all the rights that other Pakistani citizens are entitled to,” Bangash said.
He added that after completing their tenures, the young ambassadors will be assigned other tasks as deemed necessary by the government, like creating awareness about polio, dengue and other problems being faced by people.
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