PESHAWAR: The Provincial Development Working Party in its meeting on Thursday approved 21 donors-funded projects worth Rs5.59 billion for the erstwhile Fata.

A statement issued here said that the meeting took place after a gap of six months. It said that government removed most of the misgivings of the people of the merged districts and international partners and started resumption of development activities in erstwhile Fata.

The statement said that Additional Chief Secretary Dr Shahzad Khan Bangash chaired the meeting. It said that the projects included reconstruction of education and health facilities, construction of irrigation channels, solarisation of tubewells and water sources, drinking water supply schemes, link roads, integrated development to discourage poppy cultivation in the far off areas, de-radicalisation and feasibility and design of judicial complexes in all districts.

Schemes to be executed in health, education, irrigation and communication sectors

The approved projects are being funded by USAID, International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs (INL-P), World Food Programme (WFP), Asian Development Bank (ADB) and from Fata Annual Development Programme.

In the education sector, three projects were approved by the forum with a total cost of Rs606.57 million. In health sector, PC-I for reconstruction of civil hospital in Muzzafar Kot Kurram was approved with a cost of Rs307.940 million.

In irrigation sector, 12 projects worth Rs723.86 million were approved. In communication sector, two projects costing Rs1632.90 million were approved that included rehabilitation and improvement of Bara-Mastak Road in Khyber tribal district and Ghalijo-Dabori Road in Orakzai tribal district.

In regional sector, seven projects worth Rs661.514 million were considered. Of these, five projects were approved and two projects funded by INL-P worth Rs1658.481 million were recommended to CDWP.

The forum also approved PC-I for de-radicalisation/rehabilitation centre in Khyber tribal district that would cost Rs137.820 million. The approved projects are likely to positively impact the socio-economic indicators of erstwhile Fata.

Dr Bangash told Dawn that the officials of finance and planning and development departments of the merged areas also attended the meeting. He said that the forum prioritised the donor-funded and public welfare projects.

He said that PDWP meeting also demonstrated the provincial government seriousness regarding the affairs of the merged areas.

Published in Dawn, December 14th, 2018