PARACHINAR, Sept 2: The government's efforts to bring tribal areas on a par with developed parts of the country are proving successful in tribal areas and a gigantic development programme initiated in Kurram Agency is an example of it.
The allocation for development funds for tribal agencies has witnessed a big upward jump during the last three to four years which has no precedence during the last 57 years.
The Kurram Agency, which shared almost a 300-kilometres porous border with Afghanistan, is peaceful and calm and tribal clans are fully supporting government agencies in the execution of development projects.
A 12-member delegation of Peshawar-based journalists visited the agency and witnessed mega projects such as an under-construction Maidani Small Dam, Kot Ragah small dam, sports complex, Government Girls Degree College, Baggan, and a Forest Nursery at Sadda.
An amount of Rs505.274 million under the Annual Development Programme 2004-05 has been allocated for the Kurram Agency which is an ample testimony of the government's resolve to improve socio-economic conditions of tribesmen living in the area. The educational and health facilities visited by the corps of journalists showed a rapid improvement.
The referral cases in health and education sectors to Peshawar and other big cities have registered considerable decline after the provision of modern equipment in the tribal belt hospitals and educational institutions, comments Political Agent Dr Tashfeen Khan while briefing the journalists about the development strategy being adopted by the government in the area.
"Now we are focusing on the promotion of higher education in order to absorb the passed-out lot from primary tiers of schooling," he said, adding the same strategy was being followed in the health sector also.
As many as 117 different nature schemes have been planned for completion. A major chunk of the development funds would go to on-going projects. The communications sector is on top of the government's priority list with Rs131 million followed by education with a planned spending of Rs110.885 million, health Rs53.427 million, power Rs25.200 million and irrigation Rs57.464 million.
Efforts for the promotion of education could be witnessed from establishment of four more degree colleges during the last one year with main focus on provision of higher secondary education to girls.
The girls had previously no access to degree-level education and thus they had to abandon their studies, said Executive Engineer of Construction and Works Mushk-i-Alam. In all 22 education-related schemes would be completed in the agency during 2004-05, he said.
Briefing the journalists at the site of Maidani small dam, Irrigation Executive Engineer Shaukat Afridi said the dam would be constructed at a cost of Rs147 million and its completion was due in June 2006. The total life span of the dam is 100 years.
With a reservoir capacity of 2975 acres feet, the dam would irrigate about 1100 acres of land while its catchment area consisted of 55.09 square kilometres. He said two similar small dams were also under construction in the agency to tap water sources while the feasibility report of six other dams was being prepared.
To materialize governor's dream of "Green Kurram," the forest department has set up various nurseries with rare species of different plants, suitable for the cultivation in the agency. At Alizai Nursery, the journalists were informed that the nursery spreads over five acres and possesses over 300,000 saplings.
A visit to under-construction sports complex revealed that tribesmen would soon have access to standard cricket, hockey and footballs, basketball, volleyball stadiums. The sports complex project would cost Rs38.4 million and is due for completion in June, 2006. -APP