PESHAWAR, Nov 3: NWFP Governor Khalilur Rehman has urged district governments to utilize their available resources and funds for the development of their areas.

Mr Rehman said that efforts could be made to bring about socio-economic uplift of the people of Nowshera district.

He also stressed the need for exploiting the existing resources and introducing new policy steps for rapid development of all areas of the province, according to an official handout issued on Thursday.

Talking to Daud Khattak, Nazim of Nowshera district, who had called on him at the Governor’s House here on Thursday, he said the district had witnessed accelerated industrialization in the early days of Independence and “even today there existed every opportunity in this respect”.

Yet, he added, this important sector was experiencing economic stagnation for quite some time mainly because of local problems. The governor expressed the confidence that the new district government would keep focus on this vital sector of economic well-being of the people and spare no efforts in especially facilitating the private sector not only to revive the sick industrial units but also to encourage new entrepreneurship.

He also expressed the need for proper training of labourers and skill development as well as promotion of congenial working culture.

He said that President General Pervez Musharraf had set the target of ensuring access of every citizen to clean potable water, an indispensable need of life, by 2007 and hoped that the district government would give due attention to this goal.

Because of unique geographical position this demand could be materialised relatively easily by lifting water from the nearby Kabul River and through installation of filter plants, he said.

The governor expressed concern over the lack of educational facilities and conceded that tremendous efforts will have to be made to make a three- to four-fold increase in the existing number of degree colleges, especially for girls.