PESHAWAR, Aug 31: NWFP Governor Lt-Gen (retired) Ali Mohammad Jan Aurakzai has said that the development process in the Federally-Administered Tribal Areas (Fata) will by no means damage tribal customs and traditions.

He was addressing a representative jirga of the Orakzai Agency at the Babar Mela, headquarters of the agency, during his one-day visit to Hangu on Thursday.

Federal Minister Dr Ghazi Gulab Jamal, who also represents the agency in the National Assembly, Senator Mian Mohammad Hussain, Additional Chief Secretary (Fata) Mohammad Shahzad Arbab, Secretary to Governor Arbab Mohammad Arif and Political Agent Sher Alam Mehsud were also present on the occasion.

Governor Aurakzai said that Fata became a flashpoint in the post 9/11 scenario thus creating many opportunities that could be turned into benefits for the people of the region.

“Every nation do face crisis while making history but successful are those who come out victorious without or with minimum damages,” he remarked.

The government would take benefit of the crisis and make use of it to develop the tribal areas, he said, adding that the development outlay for Fata had been successively increased and brought to Rs6.2 billion over the past four years and hoped that it would be further increased.

The governor dispelled the misperception about Fata saying: “Tribesmen are peace loving, democratic and development seekers and the tribal society is one having justice and fairness in its every sphere. What the tribal areas actually need is development because they had remained backwards for years due to the faults at part of both the government and tribesmen.”

He said that the present government was striving for accelerated development of tribal areas. He in this connection mentioned a mega development project that would encompass almost all the development and social sectors and would cost Rs120 billion over 9 years.

The project, he added, was under the process of planning and would be finalised by the end of the next month.

He said tribesmen would also be taken into confidence about the contents of the project before implementation.

Referring to the ongoing development process in the Orakzai Agency, the governor said that nearly Rs400 million were being spent on development projects in the agency during the current fiscal year.

He announced that Hangu, Thall, Orakzai, Darra Adam Khel and Parachinar would get natural gas supply from the Gurguri gas field very soon. Moreover, LPG facility would also be extended to remote tribal areas to save and conserve forests.

About electricity, he said the existing capacity of the grid stations would be enhanced to meet the increasing power demand.

Regarding mineral development, the governor said that coalmines in Orakzai Agency would be further developed. However, he expressed concern over tribal disputes on some coalmines in the agency and urged tribesmen to negotiate a peaceful settlement.

He said the government had already allocated Rs240 million to improve mineral related infrastructure. He announced new uplift projects for the agency.

He assured the jirga that staff deficiency in health and educational institutions would be removed and wherever necessary employees on contract basis would be appointed.—Online