ISLAMABAD, Nov 1: Nearly 450 schools - 200 primary, 100 middle, 100 high and 50 higher secondary schools - were established in the NWFP during the current fiscal year.

About 28 per cent of the total developmental budget was being spent on the development of education sector in the province. Plans were afoot to set up women medical college and university in the NWFP, said the provincial minister for local government and rural development, Sardar Muhammad Idrees, while talking to the PTV.

Free books were provided to girl students of primary schools, while girls up to the matric level were provided free education.

The minister said the provincial government was striving to provide basic amenities to the people of the NWFP. So far 6,240 development projects have been completed including 3,120 water supply schemes during the current fiscal year.

District development committees have been established to avoid duplication and overlapping projects. Special attention was being paid to the development of remote areas, the minister said and added that about 92 per cent of the water supply schemes have been completed.

A development and monitoring department has been established in the ministry of local government to ensure smooth functioning of the projects.

To strengthen the devolution programme, its budget has been enhanced from Rs862 million to Rs962 million during the current fiscal.-APP