PESHAWAR: The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa cabinet on Wednesday approved the sale of 18MW electricity generated by Swabi’s Pehur hydropower plant to the Gadoon Amazai Industrial Estate at wheeling charges.

“The supply of cheap electricity will help grow industries and generate better employment opportunities in the province,” Chief Minister Mahmood Khan told the cabinet meeting at the Civil Secretariat here.

The meeting was attended by ministers and advisers and special assistants to the chief minister, chief secretary, administrative secretaries, inspector general of police, and other officers concerned.

CM orders holding of cabinet meeting about Fata reforms on fortnightly basis

The cabinet authorised the energy and power department to sell electricity generated by Pehur hydel power plant to industries in the Gadoon Industrial Estate through open bidding in accordance with the relevant laws saying the move will expand and promote industrial sector in the province.

It also approved amendment to Section 28 of the Pakhtunkhwa Child Protection and Welfare Rules, 2016, about the age limit for the appointment of the chief protection officer.

The cabinet approved the 2018-19 development budget for Mardan district.

The chief minister ordered the holding of the cabinet meeting once every two weeks.

“Those meetings will be briefed about the pace of development work in merged districts,” he said.

Mr Mahmood said the cabinet would also review implementation of decisions made in the previous meeting.

He also ordered amendments to the relevant laws and rules for the promotion of investment in the province saying the initiative will increase economic activity and produce opportunities of employment and progress for the residents.

The cabinet decided that the details of the implementation of all approved rules and laws would be presented in its next meeting to ensure that people benefit from them.

The chief minister also ordered the inclusion of additional services to the Right to Public Service Commission Act to provide services to the people on their doorstep.

It also decided that its members and administrative heads of government departments would pay regular visits to merged districts and brief people about the 10 years development plan. The cabinet was also briefed about the extension of judicial, police, health and local government systems to merged districts.

Officials said 152 officers of the prison department had been deputed in tribal districts, while

907 posts had been approved by the government for the establishment of lower courts in the erstwhile Fata.

They said the Peshawar High Court had completed deputation of session judges, senior civil judges and civil judges to tribal districts, who had already begun working.

The cabinet also approved 393 posts of police and 25 police stations for tribal districts.

The officials said in the initial stage, the government needed Rs568 million for the extension of police to tribal districts.

They said the delimitation process had been completed in tribal districts prompting the Election Commission of Pakistan to notify increase in the constituencies of KP Assembly from 124 to 147.

Meanwhile, an official statement said the cabinet discussed pace of reforms in tribal districts after being briefed about 10-year development plan for the region.

The cabinet was briefed about the post-merger scenario including development projects in the region.

It decided that its members and senior officials would maintain a close liaison with the elders and residents of merged districts with the process beginning in Bajaur, Mohmand and Khyber districts.

The cabinet said the residents of merged districts would be briefed about new development initiatives of the government.

The chief minister asked the relevant departments to address grievances of the local residents and bring the region to the mainstream.

He promised the provision of legal protection to the services of the personnel of the Levies and Khassadar forces.

Published in Dawn, March 14th, 2019