PESHAWAR, Sept 22: A plan to merge Khasadars and levies into a unified paramilitary force has fizzled out due to financial constraints, a senior government official told Dawn .

The plan was aimed at making law enforcement in the Federally Administered Tribal Areas (Fata) more efficient, official sources said.

Almost 22,000 Khasadars, representatives of different tribes, form an internal force to control the law and order situation. The force works under political agents of Fata without any licensed weapons, wireless equipments or official building.

Under the Fata Reforms Programme, the merging of Khasadars and levies into the Frontier Constabulary was to be done to improve the system. Salaries of Khasadars were  also to be brought in line with salaries of other government servants including fringe benefits and pension rights, but resource constraints did not let the plan to materialize, official sources told Dawn .

The merger of Khasadar with the FC and their restructuring and training would have cost Rs2 billion. Initially it was estimated that Rs800 million would be allocated for salary, pension, gratuity, contingencies and other allowances and Rs1.2 billion were to be allocated to purchase wireless equipments, weapons, vehicles and  barracks for the force, an official said.

It was also planned to revise the existing pay scale of Khasadars in accordance with FC rules. Some 500 Khasadars were also to get a three-month training at four FC training centres.

Policing of the tribal areas was also part of the plan. The appointments of training staff of almost 963 experts, including prosecution, investigation and traffic experts proposed by the FC were also dismissed due to financial constraints. The plan of policing the tribal area failed as well due to absences of a judicial system in the tribal area.