PESHAWAR: Chief Minister Pervez Khattak has approved three mega irrigation and agriculture projects of underdeveloped southern districts of the province.

The projects were approved under Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Southern Areas Development Programme (KP-SADP). The programme is being launched in three southern districts -- Lakki Marwat, Tank and Dera Ismail Khan -- under a foreign assistance scheme amounting to Rs2304.059 million, according to a statement.

The project would irrigate 59,082 acres of land. Besides bringing vast barren land under cultivation through Rodkohi and lift irrigation systems, the projects would protect tens of hundreds of villages and scattered houses from flood and erosion.

Chairing a follow up meeting here, Mr Khattak also ordered environmental improvement and creating maximum jobs for the local youth during and after the completion of the programme.

Schemes to irrigate over 50,000 acres in Lakki Marwat, Tank and DI Khan

The meeting was attended by MPAs concerned, divisional and district authorities and administrative secretaries of the relevant departments.

The chief minister said that the programme would contribute greatly in boosting agricultural produce, protecting precious farm lands from erosions and safeguarding human lives, cattle and properties in surrounding villages from flood during torrential rains.

He hoped that jobs in agriculture sector would be increased after completion of the schemes and socio economic condition of the people, especially farmers, would be improved. He added that unemployment and backwardness were the root causes of unrest and militancy in the province.

Mr Khattak said that accelerating work on various projects in agriculture, forestry and commerce sectors would help greatly in eliminating the curse of militancy and violent trends among the youth.

He said that providing extra opportunities to villagers of southern districts in agriculture, livestock, forestry and other sectors would increase their sources of livelihood and their standard of life would also be improved.

The chief minister was told that the programme included three mega schemes of irrigation and agriculture wherein World Bank provided Rs250 million on the request of provincial government for Rs260 million for the purpose.

The programme besides other dividends in agriculture sector would also provide jobs to 325,000 educated youth. The meeting decided that the programme would be launched soon after the monsoon season to avoid damage to construction and development works in Rodkohi and lift irrigation sectors.

Published in Dawn, May 11th, 2017