GHALANAI: Chief Minister Mahmood Khan has said that it is top priority of the government to make functional the existing institutions and facilities in tribal districts.

He said that issue of shortage of staff in tribal districts was being resolved on emergency basis. He said this during his visit to forward posts at Pak-Afghan border in Mohmand tribal district where he met the security forces and also inaugurated border security fort.

The chief minister visited the newly-constructed Cadet College Mamad Gat and addressed a jirga of elders from the tribal districts of Mohmand and Bajaur.

The college has been completed in a short span of 14 months at an estimated cost of Rs760 million over 77 acres piece of land. The college can accommodate 900 students with boarding facility available for 400 students.

Briefing the chief minister, Inspector General Frontier Corps Maj Gen Rahat Naseem said that necessary arrangements were made for accommodating teachers with future plans for constructing accommodation facilities for the remaining staff, solarisation of the college and construction of additional security post.

Says issue of staff shortage being resolved on emergency basis

Special quota of 20 seats per class has been specified for the students of Mohmand and Bajaur along with 10 seats per class for the students of Khyber tribal district in the college. The library of the college has more than 11,000 books.

Addressing the jirga, the chief minister said that despite strong opposition from vested interest elements, tribal areas were merged into Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. “It is our collective responsibility to make the merger a success to end exploitation of tribal people,” he added.

Mr Khan said that it was top priority of government to make functional the already established institutions and infrastructure in tribal districts for which the issue of shortage of staff was resolved on emergency basis.

He said that shortage of staff in hospitals, schools, colleges and other government departments rendered those institutions dysfunctional for which government undertook pragmatic measures.

He said that government was hiring necessary staff on emergency basis.

The chief minister said that Prime Minister Imran Khan was interested in development of tribal districts. He added that Annual Development Programme for tribal areas was increased from Rs24 billion to Rs83 billion.

He said that Rs11 billion was provided to tribal districts from the share of the settled districts of the province. “It is an evidence of the fact that government is working seriously for the speedy uplift of tribal districts,” he added.

Mr Khan said that the new mines and minerals law would ensure that residents of those districts were benefited from their natural resources. He said that funds were already allocated for merger of Levies and Khasadar forces into police.

The chief minister said that peace in the tribal districts was must for development. “Government will make every effort to ensure sustainability of peace,” he added.

Published in Dawn, December 18th, 2019