SWABI, Dec 15: The government has released the much-awaited Rs90 million development funds of three MNAs from Swabi district so that they could undertake work on different projects in their respective constituencies in the district, sources told Dawn here on Saturday.

The three MNAs include Usman Khan Tarakai from NA-12, Swabi-1; Pervez Khan advocate from NA-13, Swabi-II, and Bushra Gohar, who was nominated on the seat reserved for women in the National Assembly. Mr Tarakai belongs to Awami Jamhoori Ittehad Pakistan, while the latter two represent the Awami National Party.

The sources said that the funds of MNAs released from the Prime Minister’s Secretariat, Islamabad, had reached the office of district coordination officer (DCO), Swabi. They said that usually the funds were released by the DCO according to priorities of each MNA for projects selected by them in their respective constituency.

The sources said that it was discretionary powers of parliamentarians that whether they selected Communications and Works Department, Tehsil Municipal Administration or the Public Health, Islamabad, as the executing agency of their sanctioned projects.

They said that each MNA would get Rs30 million development fund in a year and the current fund was the last one because the constitutional tenure of the present government would complete in coming March.

The sources said that work on some projects like Bacha Khan Women Sports Complex at Salim Khan had been stopped by for last six months because of paucity of funds.

The estimated cost of this project was Rs7.7 million. The sources said that the contactor had been told that after annual budget 2012-2013 the development fund of the MNAs would be released by the federal government and after that he would receive the fund.

The sources said that MNAs Pervez Khan, Usman Tarakai and Bushra Gohar had already submitted their respective projects and selected the executing agencies. They said that construction of streets seemed to be the top priority because parliamentarians could easily lure voters to support them in upcoming general election.