KHAR: The authorities have stopped making payments under the federal government-funded annual scholarship programme to the students of Bajaur Agency studying in public sector universities and colleges.

Sources in the local administration told this correspondent on Wednesday that the decision in this regard was taken on the directives of Fata Secretariat through an official notification a few days ago.

They said that the Fata Secretariat did not mention any specific reason for decision, but directed the administration to stop payment to students studying within and outside the agency till further orders.

An official of the political administration in Khar, who oversees the student affairs, confirmed the suspension of the government-funded annual scholarships. Requesting anonymity, he said that the scholarships were stopped owing to lack of funds as the government did not allocate any funds for the programme in the budget for fiscal 2016-17.

He also disclosed that the scholarship programme had been suspended for the students of entire Federally Administered Tribal Areas. However, the official claimed that the programme had been suspended temporarily to bring transparency in distribution of scholarships.

He said that some high-ups of the Ministry of States and Frontier Region and Fata Secretariat were not satisfied with the procedure and criteria set for award of the scholarships.

Answering a question, the official said that Rs6,000 and Rs5,000 had been given to the students of the agency studying in the universities and colleges every year, respectively. He said that it was for the first time since 1973 that the authorities had stopped such scholarships.

The sources said that the decision would affect over 1,500 students of the agency.

Meanwhile, Bajaur Students Organisation president Fazal Rahman condemned the federal government and Fata Secretariat for stopping the scholarship programme.

Liaquat Ali Hamraz, a student leader in Government Islamia College, Peshawar, said that stopping the scholarship to the students of backward and militancy-affected region was unjustified. The students’ leaders have demanded of the prime minister, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa governor and relevant officials of Fata Secretariat to take notice of the suspension of scholarships. They threatened to launch agitation if the authorities did not issue their scholarship next month.

UPLIFT SCHEMES: PML-N MNA Shahabuddin Khan has asked the local administration to ensure transparency in the uplift projects in the region.

He was speaking at a ceremony to inaugurate construction of two roads in Salarzai region the other day. According to officials, the eight-kilometre Pashat-Ghatt road scheme would cost Rs110 million and completed by end of October, while the two kilometers Pashat-Gambat road project costing Rs50 million would be completed by end of November.

The MNA said that corruption in development schemes in the agency had significantly increased owing to absence of checks and balances. He hoped that the government would announce the Fata reforms package before Aug 14.

Published in Dawn, July 28th, 2016