PESHAWAR, April 13: The federal government is spending Rs855.75 million on levies and Khasadar force to maintain law and order in the Federally Administrated Tribal Areas (Fata).

Official sources told Dawn here on Saturday that the federal government had earmarked Rs855.75m budget for the year 2002-3 for levies and Khasadar force in Fata to maintain law and order. The amount included establishment charges, purchase and repair of durable goods, commodities and service expenditure on the Khasadar force and levies.

According to the official statistics, the government is spending Rs131.3m on 3,689 levies and Khasadar force in South Waziristan Agency, which includes Rs130.1m expenditure on establishment charges, Rs153,000 on purchase and repairs and Rs950,000 on commodities and service.

The expenditure on 1,948 Khasadars and levies in Bajaur Agency is Rs75.18m. Mohmand Agency, 2,320 Khasadars and levies, expenditure Rs88.95m; Khyber Agency, 2,753 Khasadars and levies, expenditure Rs100.212m; Orakzai Agency, 2,283 Khasadars and levies, expenditure Rs98.02m; Kurram Agency, 1,951 Khasadars and levies, expenditure Rs85.09ms and North Waziristan Agency, 3,265 Khasadars and levies, expenditure Rs119.4m.

The government is spending Rs60.4m on 1,325 Khasadars and levies in Frontier Region Malakand. FR Peshawar, 107 Khasadars and levies, expenditure Rs3.52m; FR Kohat, 668 Khasadars and levies, expenditure Rs24.93m; FR Bannu and Lakki, 887 Khasadars and levies, expenditure Rs28.190m; FR Dera Ismail Khan, 274 Khasadars and levies, expenditure Rs8.38m; FR Tank, 426 Khasadars and levies, expenditure Rs15.81m and the strength of levies and Khasadars in Dir is 337 and expenditure Rs16.32m.

There is no special rules for the recruitment of Khasadar force and their service was also not pensionable. The recruitment was based on hereditary amongst various tribes. However, they get annual increments of Rs55 for low-rank sepoy to Rs120 to the highest rank subedar-major.

The Khasadar is also not entitled to liveries and weapons and his tribe is responsible in case of breach of discipline.

Whereas, there is proper policy for the recruitment of levy in some tribal agencies, but there is no hard and fast rules. The levy job is pensionable and they get annual increments according to their pay scale which vary from Rs75 to Rs295.