PESHAWAR, Dec 7: The Agricultural University of the NWFP is preparing two PC-1s for establishing one training and advisory service centre each in North and South Waziristan tribal agencies under the agricultural development plan for the Federally-Administered Tribal Areas.

According to a press release issued here on Thursday, the vice-chancellor of the university visited South Waziristan and North Waziristan with NWFP Governor Mohammad Ali Jan Aurakzai and met tribal elders there.

The university has chalked out a project entitled ‘Fata Sustainable Development Plan 2006-2015’. The vice-chancellor, Prof Dr Said Khan Khalil, held several meetings with the governor to take guidelines from him about the Fata agricultural development programme.

The university had taken the following steps to accelerate development in tribal areas:

— Thirteen seats, one for each agency and the Frontier Region, have been reserved in the agriculture, DVM, BBA, BCS and BIT disciplines;

— Under a USAID project, an endowment fund is being created, the proceeds from which would be spent on agriculture education and research in Fata and settled areas;

— The university would also offer short training courses to farmers and farmhands for resolution of their problems.

The press release said the university was collaborating with the Pakistan Oilseed Development Board, ARI Tarnab and NARC Joint Programme for production of olives in Fata.