GILGIT, Jan 12: Non-governmental organizations must supplement government efforts for development in the Northern Areas because it cannot reach each sector due to budgetary constraints, NAs Chief Secretary Fazal Durrani said here on Friday.

He was speaking at a briefing arranged by Focus Humanitarian Assistance Program.

Programme coordinator of the organization, Naunihal Shah, said the FHA programme had been engaged in Chitral and Northern Areas since 1999 and through its projects the rural communities would be imparted training and awareness about natural disaster management, He said the communities would also be trained in basic health care and first aid. The chief secretary assured the organization of his cooperation.