PESHAWAR, April 13: The headquarters of the Frontier Crops will be shifted from the Bala Hisar Fort and the ancient monument of the Mughal era will soon be handed over to the NWFP government.

According to an official handout issued here on Tuesday, Chief Minister Akram Durrani told representatives of the Police Foundation that President Gen Pervez Musharraf had assured him that the fort would be handed over to the provincial government and the headquarters of the Frontier Corps would be shifted to some other suitable place.

An understanding to the effect of placing the Bala Hisar Fort with the provincial government was there for quite some time. However, it could not be materialized due to bureaucratic red-tapism.

The chief minister, contained the handout, had directed the authorities concerned to arrange a meeting of the provincial governor and FC inspector general, to expedite the handing over of the fort.

The managing director of the National Police Foundation, Iftikhar Ahmed Khan, Security Director DIG Sikandar Shaheen and Humayun Khan were also present on the occasion. The chief minister was briefed on the activities of the foundation.

The officials of the foundation also showed interest in investing in the transport, health, social welfare and industrial sectors in the province. The chief minister appreciated the commitment of the foundation and assured that the NWFP government would support the foundation.

He said that the MMA government had taken unprecedented steps for the welfare of police and heirs of martyred policemen which include increase in salaries, allowances and special packages.

According to the package the heirs of the martyred policemen would be entitled to receive complete salaries and afterwards they would get family pension, he added.

Similarly, directives had also been issued for arrangement of plots for the heirs of the policemen and steps had been taken for the education of their children, he said, adding that punishment and reward system in the police department introduced by the MMA government had improved the department's performance.

The chief minister said: "We are of the opinion that the police should be provided with all facilities so that they could protect property and life of the people in a better way." Mr Durrani said that during the recent passing out parade at the PTC, Hangu, he had announced a number of facilities for the centre.

He said that the NWFP was basically a poor and backward province. In big cities modern facilities in health and education sectors were available, but in the backward and far-flung districts people had no access to them.

The MMA government had worked out a comprehensive policy under which modern facilities in health and education sectors would be available in all the districts of the province.

Welcoming the decision of the police foundation to start bus service in Peshawar city, the chief minister assured that the MMA government would cooperate with the foundation. However, he stressed that they should select the places where the transport facilities were not adequate.