PESHAWAR, May 21: The NWFP Essential Institutional Reforms Operationalisation Programme (EIROP) is establishing the District Citizen Information Centres (DCICs) in each district of the province to improve governance and service delivery at the local level.

The fifth DCIC of the province is being set up under the programme in the Swabi district for which a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) will shortly be signed between the EIROP and district government, an official told Dawn here on Monday.

The EIROP — a joint venture of the NWFP government, the UNDP and the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC) — has already established DCICs in Peshawar, Mardan, Swat and Abbottabad districts.

According to the official, modalities relating to the DCIC in Swabi were finalised at a meeting held between Mohammad Asghar, National Project Director (NPD) EIROP, District Nazim Shahram Khan and District Coordination Officer (DCO) Mohammad Adil.

Both the District Nazim and DCO Swabi, said the official, had assured the National Project Director of the EIROP of all possible support in establishing the DCIC in Swabi district.

According to the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to be signed between the EIROP and district government, the EIROP will provide technical and hardware support to the DCIC, whereas the district government will provide space for the centre near the DCO office next week.

The EIROP in its first phase had established two DCICs in Abbottabad and Mardan and handed them over to their respective district governments. Likewise, in Phase-II, the project has established two DCICs at Peshawar and Swat, which will soon be handed over to their respective district governments, said the official.

“Based on the past experience, two more DCICs are being established in district Swabi and Lower Dir,” the official informed.

The official further explained that the setting up of DCICs was also in line with the National Reconstruction Bureau’s District Information Technology Office’s initiative.

The DCIC will provide data regarding facilities of the line departments, budget and accounts of the district, ADP schemes and progress.