PESHAWAR: The recruitment of 835 teachers in educational institutions of North Waziristan and Kurram tribal districts is in process to address shortages, the provincial task force on merged districts was informed on Thursday.

According to an official statement about the task force’s meeting, the recruitment of 379 teachers in North Waziristan will be completed by the next month and that of 456 teachers in Kurram before the beginning of the next academic year.

In addition, the education department has completed the recruitment of 56 lecturers in various colleges of Kurram district.

The task force reviewed the implementation of decisions made in the last meeting regarding development projects and people’s issues in North Waziristan and Kurram.

Task force on merged districts reviews progress on uplift projects

Chief Minister Mahmood Khan chaired the meeting, where Corps Commander of Peshawar Lt-General Nauman Mahmood, ministers, additional chief secretary Shahab Ali Shah, senior member of the Board of Revenue Syed Zafar Ali Shah, inspector general of police Muazzam Jah Ansari and administrative secretaries concerned were in attendance.

About the decisions made in the last meeting and their implementation status, the forum was told that 27 important decisions were taken regarding North Waziristan and 24 regarding Kurram.

According to the statement, of the 27 decisions regarding North Waziristan, 19 were fully implemented and the remaining are being implemented in line with the timelines. Of the 24 decisions regarding Kurram, 11 were fully implemented, while implementation of the rest was under way in accordance with the timelines.

The task force was informed that the Nadra offices had been set up in Miramshah and Razmak areas, while the passport office was fully functioning in the district. Besides, Nadra citizen facilitation centres had been set up on different spots and female staff had been posted at three centers. Besides, pending schedules of new expenditure of health and education departments for North Waziristan were also approved.

Officials said 1.8 million saplings had been planted during the monsoon campaign under the 10 Billion Tree Tsunami project.

They also said the offices of excise and taxation, mines and mineral, Rescue 1122, social welfare, population welfare and food departments were set up in North Waziristan, while Spin Wam and Shewa hospitals were made operational.

Also, a project regarding dualisation of Bannu-Miramshah Road was reflected in the Accelerated Implementation Programme, while PC-II of the project has been approved. A total of Rs2.26 billion funds were released to strengthen police in the merged districts.

About Kurram district, the task force was told that PC-II had been approved for the establishment of category-D hospitals in Makhranay, Mandan and Kharlachi areas, while feasibility study was under way for the establishment of a medical college and upgradation of the district headquarters hospital in Kurram.

A project for the widening and rehabilitation of Thall-Parachinar road was reflected in the Annual Development Programme.

The meeting was briefed that the formulation of education and health plans for the merged districts was in final stages, while a separate economic plan had been devised for ramping up economic activities in tribal districts.

The chief minister said the government was taking concrete steps for the sustainable development of merged districts.

He said development projects valuing billion of rupees had been launched in the region and their completion would usher in a new era of prosperity and progress for the residents.

Published in Dawn, October 1st, 2021