March 16, 2003	Sunday	Muharram 12, 1424

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PESHAWAR, March 15: NWFP Chief Minister Akram Khan Durrani has said that the government has laid the groundwork for a new draft likely to be presented in the National Finance Commission meeting shortly for a revised award in view of the backwardness of NWFP.

“We expect a lot from Prime Minister Mir Zafarullah Khan Jamali in the new NFC award,” remarked Mr Durrani while explaining the policies of the province to senior newsmen at the Frontier House here on Saturday, at a breakfast meeting.

Later, a delegation of Khyber Union of Journalists also called on the chief minister and apprised him of the journalists’ problems like the delay in the implementation of the Wage Award, improper working conditions in the newspaper industry, delay in the payment of salaries and arrears, increase in residential plots for journalists community in the Regi Lalma Housing Scheme and others.

The chief minister assured the journalists of solving their problems on priority basis. He also said that the MMA government favoured friendly relations with media.

“Being democrats, we are determined to maintain cordial relations with the federal government and work in consultation with the elected representatives and their electorates. I am very much satisfied with the prime minister’s approach towards the problems being faced the NWFP,” he said.

Mr Durrani said that hydel profit from Wapda remained the NWFP’s main concern. The province has so far received Rs3 billion out of a total Rs6 billion, he said, hoping that the remaining amount would come soon.

To a question, the chief minister said though the NWFP government projected hydel profit to be around Rs15 billion every year, but it was capped at Rs6 billion.

He said that on the eve of the PM’s visit to Peshawar, the government had presented its case in a much better way. He said he had asked the federal government to increase the hydel profit from Rs6 billion to at least Rs10 billion.