Talk of the ‘town’: FATA gets 14 municipal corporations

Official says step vital for rolling out LGs in tribal heartlands

PESHAWAR: The Federally Administered Tribal Areas have long been ruled under an obsolete system that is a product of colonial needs. It is time the region’s law and administration are humanised and this is exactly what the government has in store for them.

The talk of the town is that Fata will have 14 townships, also called municipal corporations, to add efficiency to the area’s governance system. The Rs900 million scheme, called Tribal Areas Rural-to-Urban Centers Conversion Initiative, is part of the multibillion rupee FATA Urban Planning project.

Speaking to The Express Tribune, a FATA Secretariat local government and rural development directorate official said the project is an indication that peace has been restored in Fata.

“Development activities and provision of facilities will change the mindset of the tribespeople.”



He added initially it was decided to create 11 townships across Fata’s agencies but later three more were added to the plan. “There were three old townships working in tribal areas. They include one each in Sadda and Parachinar in Kurram Agency and the other is in Miranshah, North Waziristan Agency. They were built back in 1963. They are old and lack the most basic of facilities. We will revamp them under the new project.” Due to the absence of LG setups in the areas, local political administrations have been managing them, he added.

Answering a question about the new townships, the secretariat official said modern and well-equipped schools and hospitals, slaughterhouses, fire stations, fruit and vegetable markets will be set up. He said dependency on solar energy will also be stressed through solar-powered street lighting and tube wells. “All local offices will be located within the townships only to provide residents services at their doorstep.”

Once the division is carried out, the secretariat will run the townships for 12 months, manage their revenue and issue salaries to employees. After a year their charge will be handed over to the local political administrations. “This step is pivotal for introducing the LG system in Fata,” he said, adding the scheme will serve as an acid test for an all-encompassing LG setup in the area. Consultants have been hired to survey four more agencies. “World Bank is spearheading the surveys that have been completed in Ghallanai, Landikotal, Sadda and Parachinar.”

When asked about the initiation of the project, the official said work will begin once donor agencies sign the cheques. “Work on Khar Township that was started in 2011, has been completed and it will be handed over to the LG&RD directorate in December.”

LG&RD Director Sohail Marwat could not be reached for a comment despite repeated attempts to contact him.

Published in The Express Tribune, September 12^th,  2015.