TANK, May 27: About 80 per cent work on development projects initiated during 2003-04 and on the ongoing schemes of 2004-05 in Tank (Frontier Region) has been completed and their timely completion would help improve standard of life of tribesmen.
This was stated by Syed Mohsin Ali Shah, Political Agent FR and District Coordination Officer of Tank, while talking to APP here on Friday. He said during 2004-05 all development schemes were awarded after a thorough vetting of contractors and monitoring of pace of work.
Giving details of the cost and expenditure of uplift projects, Mr Shah said for the construction of roads out of Rs19.848 million funds, Rs12 million had been released; in education sector out of Rs13.288 million, Rs10.104 million had been utilized; in public health schemes out of Rs3.780 million, Rs2.99 million had been released; in health sector out of Rs6.60 million, Rs0.375 million had been released and for housing schemes for government servants Rs0.450 million had been released out of Rs0.900 million funds.
In rural works programme under MNA funds out of Rs1 million, Rs0.05 million had been released.
Three primary schools have been upgraded to middle level and one middle level school to high school level as part of the ongoing schemes. In order to overcome water shortage in FR Tank, three tubewells have been approved for the Peeng area near Sur Ghar bordering the South Waziristan Agency where tribesmen were facing a drought-like situation as the area is mainly arid.
To cope with the water scarcity problem water channels to six villages had also been approved, he added.
Construction of roads was in full swing and work on metal roads from Ganara Khula to Ghundi Sheikhan, Mulazai to Gabar and Rakzai Killi, Sur Ghar to Tar Kar and Ummer Adda to Tangi Dewan Baba would soon be initiated.
Mr Shah expressed dissatisfaction over delayed selection of sites by certain quarters for women’s college and said they had proposed six sites to the concerned authorities but so far no decision had been taken.