Centre ‘out to torpedo’ NMDs development

CM Mahmood laments non-release of budgeted funds

PESHAWAR:

Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa (K-P) Chief Minister Mahmood Khan has termed the merger of erstwhile Fata into K-P a turning point in the development and prosperity of the tribal people.

He said that the PTI provincial government as per its commitment has left no stone unturned for the development of the merged districts.

He said the indifferent attitude of the federal government is a matter of concern. The federal government wants to sabotage the ongoing development process by withholding the dues of the province, which is an undemocratic behavior and blatant injustice with the people of the province, especially the newly merged districts, he noted.

He pointed out that out of the development budget of Rs55 billion for the merged districts, only Rs5 billion has been provided so far whereas out of the current budget of Rs85 billion, only Rs60 billion has been released.

He was addressing a meeting of the elected public representatives from the newly merged districts here at the chief minister house.

Ex-federal minister Noorul Haq Qadri, provincial ministers Anwar Zeb and Iqbal Wazir, other members of national and provincial assemblies from NMDs attended the meeting.

Addressing the participants, the chief minister said that the provincial government has successfully completed the merger process despite numerous challenges.

“In most of the tribal districts, the provincial government had to start from zero because no attention was paid to the development of these areas in the past,” he said, adding that a new era of development has been started in these districts.

The CM observed that his government has taken concrete steps to bring the people of the newly merged districts into the mainstream, adding that provincial departments have been extended to the newly merged districts and a special development program has been initiated with the sole purpose to address their longstanding deprivations.

He said that during the last four years, government had taken multiple steps resulting in significant improvement in the overall services delivery system.

Despite multiple challenges, the provincial government has proved that it is committed to the development and prosperity of tribal districts and has gone beyond its capacity to this end.

Absorption of levies and khasadars into regular police, regularization of ex-Fata project employees and provision of medical equipment and emergency medicine are among the important initiatives completed by his government.

Besides, significant measures have also been taken in the education sector including provision of scholarships to male and female students of merged districts, recruitment of new teachers, solarization of schools, construction of playgrounds, establishment and upgradation of educational institutions alongside establishing science and IT laboratories.

Other important steps taken in the merged areas include construction and rehabilitation of roads, establishment of micro hydro plants, construction of new grid stations, installation of transformers and feeders etc.

Similarly, he said that visible steps have been taken in other sectors including industries, tourism, agriculture, irrigation, and law & justice.

 

 

Published in The Express Tribune, January 7^th, 2023.