PESHAWAR: The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government on Thursday announced the extension of the Community Driven Local Development (CDLD) programme to six more districts in the province.

Addressing a ceremony held here about the programme’s extension, Chief Minister Pervez Khattak said the programme was initially launched in six districts of Malakand division and that after the successful experience, it was being extended to Kohistan, Battagram, Torghar, Buner, Haripur and Nowshera district for infrastructure development.

“The programme will now cover nearly half of the province,” he said.

The CM said the launch of the new phase of the development programme after the successful implementation of the first phase was a great achievement.

CM says programme to help develop infrastructure

He said the provincial government was committed to changing the people’s lives by changing social, economic and human capital indicators.

Mr Khattak extended his gratitude to the officials of the European Union, LG department for the completion of the first phase of the CDLD programme.

“We are committed to implement its agenda of improving the socio-economic conditions of the people,” he said, adding that the KP LG system was an example of it wherein they have transferred powers to grassroots level.

The CM said the CDLD programme had empowered people and the process of community involvement had brought citizens and government closer.

Speaking on the occasion, EU ambassador to Pakistan Jean Francois Caution said the government of Sindh and Balochistan had approached his organisation after the successful implementation of Phase I of the CDLD in KP.

“We believe that long-term development can bring prosperity to the region and that’s why, we are supporting this programme,” he said.

The EU envoy said in the new phase, the commission wanted to ensure that the implementation of the programme is more institutionalised.

He added that more than 3 million people are taking benefit of the programme.

The ceremony was also addressed by CDLD team leader Brian Fawcett, planning and development secretary Zahir Shah Khan and others who highlighted the people-friendly and transparent policies and reforms of the provincial government.

The speakers termed the LG system introduced by the provincial government the best and historical one not only in the country but world over.

Senior minister for local government Inayatullah Khan, local government secretary Syed Jamaluddin Shah, district nazims and senior officers of the relevant 12 districts, EU delegates, LG representatives and people from different walks of life also attended the ceremony.

The EU has provided 64 million Euros against the provincial government funding of Rs4.7 billion for the first phase and has committed additional funds of 34.4 million Euros, while the provincial government has committed Rs5.981 billion for the second phase.

A total of 1,457 developmental projects were completed and over 3.7 million people benefitted from its first phase.

Published in Dawn, February 23rd, 2018