01 May 2004	Saturday	10 Rabi-ul-Awwal 1425

PESHAWAR, April 30: US Ambassador Nancy Powell has said that Washington would provide assistance for the development of Kala Dhaka, Mansehra's hilly areas , and other six backward districts of the NWFP to bring about improvement in peoples' standard of living.

The ambassador made the statement during a visit to Kala Dhaka and Oghi, remote areas of Mansehra district on Thursday, where she was briefed on ongoing development schemes. She was accompanied by Chief Minister Akram Durrani.

Ms Powell said that the US assistance to be shaped in the light of her recommendations and would be utilised through public representatives and community organizations. The ambassador said that the US assistance would be used for provision of state-of-the-art machinery for local hospitals and furniture for schools in the backward districts of the province.

The delegation was informed about administrative structure, tribal customs and traditions, lack of facilities and uplift schemes initiated by the government.

On the occasion, Chief Minister Akram Durrani informed the US ambassador that the American assistance would be utilized to provide basic facilities to the people. A complete transparency would be ensured in utilizing the aid to avoid possibilities of misappropriation, he added.

Mr Durrani said that people of the area were peace-loving, democratic and rendered sacrifices by vacating their land for the construction of Tarbela Dam but they had not been compensated as yet. The chief minister said the MMA government had planned to pay compensation to the affected people and a service quota had been reserved for them.

He informed the ambassador that construction of a bridge on Tarbela Lake would cost Rs250 million and after its construction the bridge would help improve area condition.

The chief minister said that a monitoring team had been set up to monitor the development schemes initiated by the donor agencies. Mr Durrani said that the government was determined to cut down poppy cultivation to zero-level, and asked tribal elites to cooperate with the government in establishing its writ in all areas of Kala Dhaka.

The government had already announced a package for improved social services in Kala Dhaka and hopefully once the package was implemented there would be a change in all spheres of social sector, he added. The chief minister called upon the people to cooperate with the government in poppy destruction in the area as it was in their own interest.