July 07, 2006	Friday	Jumadi-ul-Sani 10, 1427

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PESHAWAR, July 6: The South and North Waziristan agencies received the highest allocation from the Federally Administered Tribal Area’s (Fata) Rs 6.2 billion annual development programme for the year 2006-07.

The development outlay for the new financial year is up by about Rs 1bn as compared to the ADP for the last financial year when the size of the development expenditure had been projected at Rs 5.15 bn.

South Waziristan Agency has been allocated the highest budget allocation worth Rs 1138.340 million followed by Rs 865.865 for the North Waziristan Agency, said a handout on Thursday.

The new year’s development outlay contains 1018 development schemes including 151 new schemes, whereas 243 schemes would be completed during the year as against 103 completed in the preceding year.

NWFP Governor Ali Mohammad Jan Aurakzai presided over a meeting held on Wednesday, which approved ADP for Fata. Provincial chief secretary, Ijaz Ahmad Qureshi, all paraliamentarians from the tribal areas and political agents attended the meeting.

Another feature of the programme was the inclusion of special development package for the six Frontier Regions (FRs) to rehabilitate and improve existing infrastructure of backward parts of the tribal areas.

Under sectoral priorities, education was on the top with 21 per cent allocation followed by communication with 19 per cent and regional development with 15 per cent allocations. Allocation per scheme had also been increased from the previous year’s Rs 5.50 million to Rs 6.1 million, said the handout.

A multiple indicators cluster survey would be carried out to update Fata socio-economic indicators for better planning and development.

Other initiatives include establishment of Fata Development Authority, extension of Rural Support Program to Fata, capacity building of line departments, skill development programme and access to mineral bearing areas.

Separate medical and engineering colleges would also be established during the new financial year besides introduction of postgraduate classes in a few selected degree colleges.

The establishment of medical college in Kurram Agency and engineering college in Mohmand Agency were inducted in the previous ADP and sites were also identified in the respective agencies, but the authorities shelved these projects.

Secertary Fata Arbab Mohammad Shehzad informed the meeting that distribution of funds among agencies and FRs had been made according to a formula based on population and area.

He said that 70 per cent of the total budget would be spent on the on-going schemes whereas new schemes would receive 30 per cent funding.

In education sector new schemes include construction of hostels in all the agencies and FRs, establishment of two degree colleges one each for boys and girls of Fata in Peshawar, strengthening of supervisory structure, award of foreign scholarships to Fata scholars and quality assurance of education sector in tribal areas.

The meeting approved new schemes in health sector including establishment of Fata Health Foundation, Health Management Information System, control of communicable diseases and construction of buildings for existing Community Health Centers.

In irrigation sector 100 micro-hydle power generation units would be installed besides feasibility and construction of small and medium hydle power stations in Fata. LPG and CNG units would also be installed in the area to remove fuel scarcity.

The new schemes in the mineral sector include development of infrastructure in mineral bearing areas besides exploration, estimation and exploitation of coal reserves and exploration, exploitation and valuation of precious stones in Bajaur and Mohmand agencies.

Winding up the debate Governor Aurakzai said that Rs six billion was no doubt a huge amount, but keeping in view the backwardness and lack of economic opportunities, the area needed much more allocation to bring it at par with at least the NWFP. He vowed to strive for getting further increase in the annual budget for the tribal areas.

Regarding establishment of medical and engineering colleges governor said that these institutions would enhance opportunities of admissions for Fata students, as the already available quota for the students of tribal areas in the professional colleges would continue.

However, he said 25 per cent seats are to be reserved for the students of rest of the country in order to create cohesion and understanding between the students of Fata and other parts of the country.