PESHAWAR, April 6: The NWFP government would receive over Rs2 billion under Access to Justice Programme funded by the Asian Development Bank under which judicial and police reforms would be carried out over a period of three years, sources told Dawn.

In its budget for the current financial year the provincial government had projected that it would receive Rs100 million under access to justice programme — of which Rs54 million has so far been released by the federal government in tranches.

The main objective to achieve under access to justice programme includes performance-based incentives for reduction of pendency in courts; establishment of separate civil and criminal courts; formulation of citizens-courts liaison committees; strengthening of existing judiciary offices of lower courts; creation of additional posts of judicial officers; effective monitoring of lower judiciary, establishment of public safety commission; establishment of independent prosecution services; enhancement of police performance including forensic facilities and criminal investigation in addition to establishment of citizens-police liaison committees.

The Rs2 billion amount to be extended to the NWFP as loan during the three-year programme forms part of the $350 million loan the ADB would provide to Islamabad including $20 million in the form of technical assistance, while the remaining $330 million forms programme loan.

The NWFP, according to sources, would distribute its total loan of Rs2 billion among the Peshawar High Court, home and tribal affairs department, law department, and the police force to carry out reforms programme.

According to the provincial government’s fund distribution plan, a major chunk of Rs1.53 billion would be placed with the Peshawar High Court that would be responsible for major reforms in higher and subordinate judiciary.

Besides, a sum of Rs40.8 million would be made available to the home and tribal affairs department for reforms.

Similarly, law department would get Rs142 million. Whereas, the NWFP police force would be provided over Rs224 million during the three-year term of the programme.

A sum of Rs102 million, according to source, has been allocated to meet “unforeseen” expenditure requirements during the implementation of the programme.

Though the implementation of the programme, the sources said, had yet to take momentum in the case of the NWFP, the provincial government had sanctioned 57 posts of additional district judges, 50 posts of civil judges and 1,286 posts of allied staff under the recently undertaken judicial reforms.

The total cost of these appointments has been estimated at over Rs320 million, whereas an estimated amount of about Rs1.2 billion would be utilized for the construction of courts and residences for judicial officers and judicial complexes. PC-1s for the same are under preparation and they would partly be funded during the current and next financial years.