22 January 2004	Thursday	29 Ziqa'ad 1424

PESHAWAR, Jan 21: Frontier Governor Syed Iftikhar Hussain Shah has said that two industrial estates will be set up with an estimated investment of around Rs70 million in the Federally-Administered Tribal Areas (Fata).

Speaking at a seminar on the promotion of cottage and small industries in Fata held here on Tuesday, the governor said that the amount required for setting up the two industrial estates - one in Dara Adam Khel, FR Kohat, and the other in Khyber Agency - had been approved and would be made available to the authorities concerned before the close of the current financial year.

The governor said that objective to make huge investment in the tribal region was to provide honourable ways and means to the tribal people to earn livelihoods.

According to an official handout issued on Tuesday, Sarhad Chamber of Commerce and Industry President Rauf Adeel, Bank of Khyber MD Dr Munir Ahmed, prominent political figure Ghulam Ali besides Senator Hamedullah Khan Afridi, Tesco Chief Engineer Hidayatullah Kundi and ICML Chief Engineer Omer Khan Safi also spoke at the seminar, whereas Secretary to Governor Sahibzada Saeed Ahmad and Fata Industries Director Salim Mohmand highlighted the prospects of industrial promotion in the tribal belt.

The governor said billions of rupees were being spent on the social sector development particularly focusing the provision of education, health and communication facilities side by side the economic sector development to ensure balanced progress and sustainability of the newly developed facilities.

He said that with the enforcement of the WTO regime attraction in all illegal businesses including smuggling would be eliminated. Therefore, it was the need of the time that the people of the tribal areas should change in their attitude and take advantage of the facilities and incentives being provided to them.

He said kidnapping for ransom, thefts and carjacking were bringing bad name to the area and the government, hence collective efforts were needed to curb the crimes in Fata pavingthe way for future opportunities.

Talking about the prospects of economic development in the province and its adjacent tribal areas, the governor said that barren lands specially vast tracts of areas situated in southern districts should be brought under cultivation by constructing water reservoirs not only to achieve self-sufficiency, but also to meet food requirements of the province and Fata.

In this connection, he also mentioned the huge amount being spent in the shape of subsidies to ensure availability of wheat on uniform rates in every areas. The amount otherwise would have been spent on socio-economic development of the people, he added.