PESHAWAR, Nov 29: NWFP Governor Lt-Gen (retd) Ali Mohammad Jan Aurakzai on Wednesday said that a massive development drive was under way in Fata was with special focus on promotion of education, health and infrastructure.

The government, he said, was making serious efforts to make key nation-building departments more effective and efficient.

He was speaking to members of a delegation of the 90th advanced course in public sector management of the National Institute of Public Administration in Lahore.

The delegation, comprising officers of BPS-19 of federal and provincial governments, had called on him at the Governor’s House here on Wednesday.

The governor said that a comprehensive plan of action had being chalked out to achieve the desired goals.

The plan, covering all important sectors, would be implemented by 2015 at a cost of almost Rs130 billion.

At the same time, he said, the government was trying to further strengthen its writ and consolidation of the prevailing system of governance in the area.

Acknowledging that the area had been neglected in the past, the governor said that as a result, the people of Fata had been living in a state of isolation and poverty because of which the situation across the border had made the situation more complicated. He said that efforts were under way to improve the situation.

The governor said that the setting up of the Fata Development Authority was part of the ongoing initiatives meant to ensure better utilisation of public money.

The delegates were informed that regular annual development budgetary outlay, which had been only Rs1.17 billion in 2001-02, had been enhanced to Rs6.2 billion during the current financial year, while the education sector was receiving almost 21 per cent of the total budget.

Similarly, almost 19 per cent of the budget was being spent on developing road network and 16 per cent had been earmarked for regional development programmes.

So far as generation of economic activities was concerned, the delegation was informed, efforts were being made to bring more area under cultivation in Fata by improving irrigation facilities and introducing better farming practices.

Referring to the exploitation of mineral resources, the delegates were informed that the government was encouraging public-private partnership.

Secretary to the Governor Azmat Hanif and Secretary Law and Order, Fata, Arbab Mohammad Arif attended the meeting.—APP