Fata to be ‘urbanised’ under pilot project
Fourteen locations in the Federally Administered Tribal Areas (Fata) have been selected to be transformed into urban hubs, aiming to provide tribesmen in one of the most underdeveloped part of the country with a city life.
The Fata secretariat has announced that the pilot project will be initiated in Khar, Bajaur Agency in the coming months. The project, led by the Tribal Areas Rural-to-Urban Centres Conversion Initiative (TARUCCI), aims to establish small urban hubs to provide better opportunities for governance and socio-economic development in the tribal areas. At least two hubs will be developed in every tribal agency.
“The pilot project includes 450 streetlamps powered by solar energy being placed in Khar,” said TARUCCI Project Director Omer Khan. The lighting system will stretch over an 11-kilometre area, he added. This will also help extend business activities till later hours.
“The current rural-tribal society in Fata, with its scattered demographics, is not conducive for the provision of modern conveniences in an efficient and cost-effective manner,” said an official source of the Fata secretariat. Urban hubs will socially transform tribal societies to resemble those of the settled districts of Peshawar and other localities, where people live comfortably.
The first project cycle (PC-1) for Khar has been approved and has an estimated cost of $25 million. Khan confirmed this, adding that the World Bank was assisting this development by giving aid and grants. He said that the environment in Khar had the most favourable conditions to launch a pilot scheme.
“The project is based on standard municipal services, providing street lights, pavements, a water supply, sanitation and planned sewerage systems among other services,” Khan said, adding that education and health care facilities and trade and transport infrastructure would serve as a catalyst for development.
Published in The Express Tribune, October 12th, 2012.
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Instead of this govt should have abolished FCR and made FATA part of KP or a province on its own.
urbanisation without education
i wonder how shall they achieve that from the past all i can say is another land capture scheme is on the way by the local politicians
good step
That is awesome; but first establish writ and make them part of pakistan
good initiative. I urge the govt. to have support from the local elders in this matter, create more jobs, education and health facilities. Perhaps, the only way to tackle talibanization
This will not be welcome by tribals as they will think it is interfdring in their customs and against their traditions. They want to live primitive life so let them be as it is.
there should be industry over there so that people become independent and then build their own city. US money will not last forever.
Not sure if this is the right way. Malala didn't need an urban environment to grow. She is the Malala we know today because of her education and personality.
I hope the people who planned this are not applying their own view of things and are aware of ground realities.
The Karachi district government also fixed Solar streetlamps near Hawkesbay, Lyari areas, Most of them were pryed open and are being sold in open market today.
Wow 450 lamps, is that really the kind of development Government is looking for ??