PESHAWAR, June 15: NWFP Governor Ali Muhammad Jan Aurakzai has approved a proposal to hand over the paraplegic centre in Hayatabad to the provincial government to run it efficiently, said a handout here on Thursday.

Earlier, the centre was run by the NWFP Branch of the Pakistan Red Crescent Society.

The governor, who is also provincial president of the society, presided over a meeting, which discussed the situation at the centre.

The meting was informed that the provincial government had decided to increase its annual grant from Rs6 million to Rs36 million.

It will be run as an autonomous institution under the supervision of a committee of dedicated personalities.

The centre was established 20 years back by the International Committee of Red Cross as one of the unique institutions of its nature in South Asia with 100 bed capacity.

It was taken over by the NWFP Branch of Pakistan Red Crescent Society in 1996.