PESHAWAR: The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa cabinet on Monday separately approved annual development programme carrying total outlay of Rs24.5 billion for the seven districts of the erstwhile Federally Administered Tribal Areas (Fata).

This is for the first time that the provincial cabinet approved ADP for the newly-merged districts. Before merger the ADP for the former Fata was presented to the provincial governor who served as chief executive and an agent to the president for the tribal borderlands for approval.

Pakistan Muslim League-N government in the centre had allocated ADP for the year 2018-19 in May last. The civil secretariat which still oversees financial and administrative affairs in the seven merged tribal districts had prepared ADP and made sector wise allocations.

An official said that around 10 per cent of the ADP would be utilised through Fata Development Authority while the remaining 90 per cent would be spent in different sectors through five departments and its attached directorates.

An official statement said that the cabinet was briefed about the seven newly-merged districts of the erstwhile Fata, the ADP of these districts, the early completion of ongoing schemes and the proposed new schemes.

It said that the Fata ADP had prioritised construction of small dams, technical education for skilled development, industrialisation and mineral development. According to the statement, Chief Minister Mahmood Khan who chaired the cabinet meeting stressed on the expeditious development of different sectors for efficient services in tribal districts.

Finance Minister Taimur Jhagra in his budget speech said that the provincial assembly would prepare next budget for the whole province including seven tribal districts. He said that merger of tribal districts with KP had political significance after integration of East and West Germany.

He said consultation between the provincial and federal governments regarding transformation of resources and long-term plan for social and economic development of the these districts would be executed along with building offices, courts and police stations.

In the wake of 25th Amendment in the constitution the government has planned to hold elections in seven tribal districts for the KP Assembly as well as local bodies. Presently people of these districts have no representation in the provincial assembly.

Published in Dawn, October 16th, 2018