LAHORE: Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Pervaiz Khattak said the Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) government has introduced drastic reforms and streamlined systems in KP without political interference to offer services to masses on merit.

“The KP government has introduced accountability from the top and I myself am answerable about my working and expenses,” Khattak asserted.

The KP chief minister was speaking to senior journalists at the PTI chairman’s secretariat on Monday to explain his provincial government’s performance in streamlining systems. He said the government had introduced the Right To Information Act, Right to Services Act and would be bringing in Conflict of Interest Act and Whistle Blower Act to ensure no public office holder got undue benefits.

Khattak said the anti-corruption system had also been strengthened and that KP was the only province that had devolved power as well as funds to local government level. He claimed the Punjab government had not devolved powers or transferred funds.

Khattak initially rejected the construction of Kalabagh dam, adding the project would water-log the valley and eventually submerge it in water.

“This dam will devastate KP,” he added. However, on being informed by PTI Information Secretary Naeemul Haq, Khattak said KP’s policy was that all provinces should develop a consensus before planning the dam.

PTI Punjab Organiser Chaudhry Sarwar said the PTI as a policy supported the dam because only dams could ensure generation of required electricity and that too on cheaper rates. Khattak said the federal government should constitute a commission and resolve small provinces’ reservations.

Responding to another question, the chief minister claimed KP was extending maximum support for implementation of the National Action Plan (NAP) because the province was a victim of terrorism. He also brushed aside criticism that the province’s Annual Development Programme (ADP) fund had lapsed, claiming that in the first year 75pc budget had been utilised. During the last year, he said, the ADP utilisation stood at 93pc. He also claimed KP police had been rid of political interference and officers were being trained in controlling law and order in the province.

KP Education and Energy and Power Minister Muhammad Atif Khan said the provincial government had increased education budget from Rs60 billion to Rs100 billion. He said monitoring teachers programme had been launched in all schools to provide dividends in terms of teachers’ attendance as well as attract children towards public schools.

He further said teachers’ recruitment had been made school-based and 13,000 teachers had been recruited, while 14,500 would be recruited on merit this year. The KP government was implementing a carrot-and-stick policy and 7,200 teachers had been suspended and removed on various charges. During the last year alone, the government constructed boundary walls of some 8,000 public schools, he added.

As the energy and power minister, Khan said his government was installing 350 run-of-the-river micro power generation units of 35MW worth Rs5 billion in hilly areas that would electrify 350 villages. He said the previous government’s 56MW projects will be completed within a month, adding the KP government would also start 300MW electricity projects during this month.

“The KP government has feasibility of setting up 2,500MW power generation units,” he further said.

KP’s environment specialist said the province would be planting one billion trees, while the province’s Health Minister Shehram Tarkai also explained reforms in his sector in his province.

Published in Dawn, October 6th, 2015

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