BATTAGRAM, May 22: Revenue Minister Maulana Asmatullah Khan said on Monday that the NWFP government would spend Rs933 million on basic facilities that it intended to provide Kohistan district. The minister said the provincial government had approved a special package for Kohistan district for improvement of education, health, agriculture and hydel power projects.

“Various link roads are being constructed to link the far-flung and remote areas of the district with the main highways,” Maulana Asmatullah said.

In the health sector, he said, the provincial government had approved establishment of a district headquarter hospital in Dassu and a tehsil headquarters hospital in Pattan.

He said the present government was giving top priority to education and had approved degree colleges in Dassu and Pattan. An inter college and technical college for Pattan have also been approved, the minister said.

About provision and generation of electricity, Maulana Asmatullah said that the area was rich for generating hydel power projects.

According to a survey, approximately 6,000 MW electricity can be generated from various waterfalls and catchment areas in the district.

The minister said the NWFP government with the cooperation of Germany was conducting a survey in the district to generate hydel power. He said that according to the survey 130 MW, 1500 MW and 1350 MW electricity, respectively, could be generated from Kapyal Nala, Choore Nala and Nala Palas.

Maulana Asmatullah said revenue department officials were working wholeheartedly to collect the record of quake victims in the district.

He paid tributes to servicemen of Pakistan Army and other officials for providing timely relief to quake victims in Battagram and Kohistan districts.

According to him, a grand conference of Shuhada-i-Balakot would be convened on July 9. Thousands of people are expected to attend the conference.

—APP