PESHAWAR, July 25: The government has planned a total of 239 schemes in the education sector for Fata out of which 55 would be completed in 2006-07 fiscal year. With the education sector getting the maximum funds of Rs1300 million in the current Annual Development Programme (ADP), the government has decided to set up one medical and one engineering college in Peshawar besides launching post-graduate classes in some degree colleges.
The 2006-07 ADP for Fata has been approved with the specific aim to gear up pace of work on the on-going projects besides initiating a number of new developmental projects in the area.
The government plans to set up degree colleges for Fata students and to establish hostels in tribal areas and Frontier Regions (FRs) to raise the enrolment ratio in these areas.
21 percent of the total ADP has been earmarked for the education sector out of which Rs1.3 billion would be spent on educational reforms and new educational institution.
DG Fata media Shah Zaman told APP that 75 per cent seats in the new colleges would be reserved for Fata students while the remaining seats would be filled by the students belonging to Azad Kashmir, northern areas and other parts of the country. He said for the first time, Fata students had been given scholarship to enable them study in foreign countries.
Mr Zaman said setting up of colleges in Peshawar would facilitate tribal students living in the provincial metropolis. The prime objective of the government, he said, was to increase rate of literacy in tribal belt.
Communication sector has goat an allocation of Rs1178 million, the regional development sector Rs950 million, irrigation Rs700 million, health sector Rs558 million, mineral resource development Rs250 million, agriculture Rs220 million, industries and technical education Rs200 million and forests Rs200 million.
According to the ADP, the ongoing schemes will receive its 70 per cent and new schemes would get 30 per cent. Distribution of funds amongst tribal agencies would be in line with the approved ‘population-plus-area’ formula.
To expedite the development process in the tribal belt, per scheme allocation has been increased from Rs5.5 million to Rs6 million.
As far the agency-wise allocation of the ADP, South Waiziristan has been given the highest amount of Rs902.4 million while North Waziristan Agency would get Rs686.4 million. Khyber Agency will get Rs643.2 million, Kurram Agency Rs633.6 million, Bajaur Agency Rs561.6 million and Mohmand and Orakzai agencies Rs456 million and Rs307.2 million respectively.—APP