LANDI KOTAL: The government contractors have complained that the prolonged delay in the release of funds has badly affected more than half of the development schemes in Khyber tribal district.

The representatives of Khyber Contractors Association told Dawn that around 150 large development schemes, including the construction of security checkposts for khasadar and levies personnel, reconstruction of schools and health centres, water supply, and construction of roads were directly affected by the delay in the release of the annual development plan funds.

KCA president Badshah Jan said he and many government contractors had either suspended or slowed down work on schemes due to denial of funds.

Insist more than half of uplift schemes affected

He said the government had yet to approve the Rs24 billion Annual Development Fund for the erstwhile Fata as the Fata secretariat wasn’t authorised to do so after the Fata-KP merger.

Mr Jan said the government contractors of seven tribal districts had expected the release of the first tranche of Rs4.5 billion in Sept but that didn’t happen due to the government’s failure to approve the ADP.

KCA general secretary Ahmad Gul suggested the handing over of the powers to approve the ADP to the KP governor and Fata secretariat for at least two years to ensure continuous provision of funds for the ongoing schemes.

He said the government had first set Oct 4 for ADP approval but later delayed it until Oct 10.

“We are now informed that the chief minister will approve the ADP on Oct 16 after being briefed about all ongoing and new development schemes for tribal districts,” he said.

Mr Gul said most government contractors working in tribal areas didn’t believe that the government would release funds after Oct 16.

Another KCA leader, Hashim Khan Afridi, said the contractors had suffered huge financial losses due to unnecessary delay in the release of development funds.

He said the delayed funds had not only caused suspension of development activities in the region but also rendered hundreds of labourers jobless as the contractors struggled to pay them wages.

Mr Afridi said the people of tribal districts had expected allocation of additional funds and their speedy release after the region’s merger with Khyber Pakhtunkhwa but they’re disappointed to see delay in provision of funds.

“The provincial government has focused its attention on the development of the districts of its key men instead of expediting development of new tribal districts,” he said.

The KCA leaders warned that the contractors would stage a sit-in in Islamabad if the government didn’t approve ADP and release funds forthwith.

DRUG DEALERS ARRESTED: The district administration arrested four suspected dealers of ice drug in Tirah valley on Friday.

Tirah khasadar line officer Sajjad Khan said raids were conducted on the places of ice drug dealers.

He said the arrested men were kept in a local lockup.

Meanwhile, the Khyber education department organised a walk against the ice drug in Bar Qambarkhel area of Bara on Friday.

Schoolchildren, elders and civil society members participated in the walk.

Agency education officer Jadoon Khan said the youths were badly affected by the use of ice drug and therefore, public awareness of its harmful effect should be created.

He urged elders and clerics to help with the authorities control and prevent the use of ice drug by people.

Published in Dawn, October 13th, 2018