PESHAWAR: The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government has given Besham area of Shangla district as tehsil status and approved a degree college and upgraded girls’ middle school to secondary level to facilitate the local people.

This was announced by Chief Minister Pervez Khattak while talking to a delegation of Besham elders here on Friday. Provincial Minister for Health Shaukat Ali Yousafzai led the delegation. The elders apprised the chief minister of problems in health, education and other sectors.

However, regarding establishment of a campus of Swat University in the new tehsil, the chief minister said development came in phases and facilities were increased according to need and available resources, according to a handout.

Mr Khattak said the establishment of new tehsil or district was no barometer for development; rather it increased administrative expenses, which ultimately resulted in burdening local resources.

He said the need was for increasing the resources of local population and extending cooperation to administration in accelerating pace of progress.

Assuring early start of work on construction of a road, bridge and basic health unit in Kormang, he said these projects had already been included in the ADP. He also assured provision of five megawatt power supply to the affected people of Khan Khwar power station.