PESHAWAR, June 10: The NWFP government has underlined a plan to distribute over Rs6 billion among the district governments under the provincially sponsored Annual Development Programme (ADP) during the next five financial years, sources told Dawn.

The Rs6 billion funds, to be distributed among the recently formed district-based administrative entities, would be in addition to over Rs14 billion amount the provincial government would be spending, during the next five financial years, on micro level community based schemes through district governments under the umbrella of Khushhal Pakistan Programme (KPP), according to sources.

The amount distributed so among the district governments would be mobilized through its own resources on the part of provincial government for development activities — funded other than KPP and federal government funded schemes.

As per the plan, the distribution of funds among the district governments would be gradually increased after every passing year during the next five financial years starting from the fiscal year 2002-03.

Against over Rs998 million spending through district governments under the ADP for the financial year 2002-03, the plan envisages to distribute among the district governments over Rs1,098 million in the 2003-04 financial year, over Rs1,208 million in 2004-05, over Rs1,329 million in 2005-06 and Rs1,462 million in the financial year 2006-07.

The district-wise share of ADP funds, under the next five financial years’ disbursement programme, has been calculated on the basis of population per district and their needs and requirements.

Nine district governments — out of 24 the Frontier province has — would collectively get over Rs3.67 billion, making over 60 per cent of the total Rs6 billion the provincial government has envisaged to distribute among the district governments.

These districts include Swat, Dera Ismail Khan, Mardan, Charsadda, Haripur, Peshawar, Karak, Mansehra and Nowshera — which, as per the 1998 census report, jointly house over 9.5 million population, making 52.7 per cent of the total 18 million population the Frontier province has.

Swat district would get the highest amount of Rs500 million ADP funds during the next five financial years followed by Dera Ismail Khan and Mardan which would get Rs 487 million each.

Out of the remaining six main districts, Haripur district has been projected to get Rs450m, Charsadda Rs402m, Nowshera Rs352m, Peshawar Rs332m, Mansehra Rs331m and Karak Rs327m.

As per the ADP funds’ distribution plan there are some five districts which would be getting Rs200 million and above each during the period from 2002-03 to 2006-07 financial years.

Swabi district’s total share under the over all Rs6 billion ADP funds has been calculated at Rs285m, Battagram district Rs257m, Abbottabad district Rs248m, Lakki Marwat district Rs226m and Bannu district Rs223m.

Whereas, Kohat district has been projected to get over Rs173m out of the provincial ADP against Rs172m to be provided to Kohistan district, Dir (lower) district Rs168m, Tank district Rs154m, Chitral district Rs122m and Buner district Rs121m.

The remote Dir (upper) district’s share out of the next five financial years’ ADP funds has been projected to be around Rs76m. Similarly, an other remote district of Shangla has been projected to get Rs71m.

Hangu district’s share has been projected to be around Rs59m whereas among all the 24 district governments, the Malakand district government would get Rs50m out of the ADP funds.

Interestingly, whereas the last four district based administrative units — Dir (upper), Shangla, Hangu and Malakand — jointly house over 10 per cent of the total population of the Frontier province, the Rs256 million collectively earmarked for them out of the ADP funds appears to be around 4.2 per cent of the total amount the province has underlined to distribute among the district governments.