PESHAWAR, Sept 11: Four utility stores have been set up in three tribal agencies in order to provide various items of daily consumption on cheap and subsidised rates to tribal people.

In the first phase two utility stores, one each in Ghiljo and Kalaya, have been opened in Orakzai Agency besides one each in Mohmand and Bajaur Agencies at Ghallanai and Khar respectively. The facility will be extended to the rest of the tribal areas, including the Frontier Region shortly.

It may be mentioned here that Governor Lt Gen (retd) Ali Mohammad Jan Aurakzai has issued directives for establishing utility stores throughout FATA during a tribal Jirga at the Governor’s House recently.

Later on the Civil Secretariat FATA and the Utility Stores Corporation held consecutive meetings to implement the governor’s directive and decide to open four utility stores immediately and initiate necessary arrangements for extending the facility to other agencies and the Frontier Region in due course.

Meanwhile, tribal elders and tribesmen from different walks of life have appreciated the governor’s immediate response to their demand for utility stores and described it a positive and favourable step to facilitate tribesmen.

They said that the opening of utility stores in FATA would benefit poor people who would be able to purchase edible and other items of daily consumption at cheap rates.—PPI