PESHAWAR, March 7: The NWFP governor has approved an alluring salary package for employees of the newly-established Fata Development Authority.

According to a notification issued a few days ago, officers in the FDA working in BPS 20 and

21 would be entitled to a special project allowance of Rs 50,000 per month in addition to their regular salaries and allowances.

Officers in Grade 20 and above, including the FDA chief executive, will receive Rs30,000 as housing subsidy and travelling allowance, daily allowance and medical bills will be paid under the existing rules. The ratio of this allowance for officers in BPS 19, 18, 17, 16 and below will stand at Rs 40,000, Rs30,000, Rs 20,000 and Rs10,000, respectively.

Officers of Grade 19 and above will also be entitled to Rs30,000 as monthly housing subsidy and officers in Grade 18, 17, 16 and below will get Rs20,000 and Rs 10,000, respectively.

The notification said Governor Ali Mohammad Jan Aurakzai had approved the salary package for staffers of the FDA under section 6 and section 29 of the authority established about three months ago. A steering committee to be headed by the governor and board of directors of the FDA have not been formed so far.

Justifying the salary package, an official of the authority told Dawn that the government was paying the same package to staffers of the Earthquake Rehabilitation and Reconstruction Authorities and its subsidiary bodies.

Interestingly, officials said, the government had abolished the Fata Development Corporation in 2002 to control non-development expenditures. The government has now not only announced a huge salary package for employees of the FDA, but non-development expenditures have also shot up manifold.

Terming the FDA a “white elephant”, an official said a bungalow had been rented at Rs250,000 per month for offices of the authority in the posh University Town. The building has only 14 rooms and it will be difficult to accommodate the entire staff.