Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa (K-P) government has voiced serious concern on the reduction in allocations for the Newly Merged Districts (NMDs) in the budget of new financial year by the federal government.
Chief Minister Mahmood Khan chaired an important meeting regarding key issues of the provincial government related to the federal government including reduction in funds for ex-Fata on Tuesday.
The meeting also showed serious reservations on the federal government’s indication to hand over the Sehat Card scheme of NMDs without transferring the required budget to the provincial government.
It discussed in detail various options to be exercised to get the due share of the province including the NMDs; and important decisions were taken to this effect.
Provincial cabinet members, Taimur Saleem Jhagra, Shaukat Yousafzai, Fazal Shakoor Khan, Chief Secretary, Dr Shehzad Bangash, Inspector General Police, Muazzam Jah Ansari, Principal Secretary to CM, Amjad Ali Khan, Advocate General, Shumail Butt and concerned administrative secretaries attended the meeting.
The meeting while expressing resolve of the provincial government to exercise all the available options to get the due rights of the province, decided to get a resolution passed unanimously from the provincial assembly, and to hold Jirga with the federal government on the issue; and to communicate in writing the concerns of the provincial government to the centre at various level.
The meeting also decided to highlight the injustice being done to K-P by the centre on media; and to exercise all the political, constitutional and legal options to get the due rights of the province.
Matters related to NFC Award, arrears of net hydel profit and other issues related to the centre also came under discussion.
It was pointed out in the meeting that after the merger of ex-Fata with K-P, the population as well as area of the province has increased considerably but the existing NFC award does not cater for the, share of the province accordingly.
It was decided in the meeting to take up the matter of new NFC Award with the federal government; and to write to the centre for convening a meeting of the Council of Common Interests (CCI) immediately to raise the issue of net hydel profit arrears.
Talking on the occasion, the chief minister said that the incumbent federal government has reduced the developmental funds of the NMDs, and indicated to hand over the Sehat Card scheme of NMDs without shifting the required financial allocations which is a sheer injustice to the people of the NMDs.
Published in The Express Tribune, June 22nd, 2022.
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