Development in merged districts

The Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa government is doing its best for rapid development in ex-Fata with its limited resources. According to the progress report issued by the provincial government on the first year of its Accelerated Implementation Programme for the newly-merged tribal districts, a sum of Rs24 billion was spent on 127 development schemes in 17 sectors in fiscal 2019-20. The biggest sum of Rs12.265 million was spent on the relief and rehabilitation sector followed by the restoration of businesses hit by conflicts in the merged districts. To boost commercial activities in the area, around seven trade routes were restored and improved at an expense of Rs1.869 billion. A total of Rs2.6 billion was spent on the health sector. The government spent around Rs2.9 billion on the primary and secondary education sector. Besides this, in order to encourage people to acquire education, Rs0.39 billion were disbursed for providing school bags and stationery, Rs0.23 billion for building play areas and Rs0.31 billion for free textbooks.

In normal circumstances, the largest chunk of the budgeted amount should have been spent on the priority sectors of health and education though. Circumstances out of the ordinary that prevailed in the tribal districts constrained the authorities to change the priorities. Considerable amounts have also been spent on the agriculture and irrigation sectors in view of the fact that these sectors generate sizable incomes. Under the AIP, around Rs1.5 billion were spent on irrigation schemes, including Rs0.85 billion on Gomal Zam Dam and Rs0.17 billion on the restoration of irrigation channels. The government has also paid attention to improving electricity availability in these districts, and Rs6.32 billion were spent on this sector. Under the AIP, the government had allocated Rs142 billion, but it could utilise only Rs24 billion, or 16.9% of the amount. The K-P government is facing challenges after the merger of tribal districts due to unavailability of proper record.

Published in The Express Tribune, September 16^th, 2020.

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