PESHAWAR, Dec 18: The government has decided to reconstitute the district committees of the Dir Area Support Project (DASP) to ensure its implementation keeping in view the elected representatives’  recommendations.

The decision was taken during a presentation on the project given to the NWFP’s senior minister, Sirajul Haq, on Wednesday.

Additional Chief Secretary Jahangir Bashar briefed the minister about the project and proposed allocations for the current financial year.

He said the project was approved in 1997 to alleviate poverty with a cost of Rs838 million. Education, irrigation, health and agriculture were the focal areas of action of the project, he said.

NWFP Health Minister Inayatullah Khan, elected representatives and  Nazimeen of lower and upper Dir districts and officials concerned attended the meeting, said a handout.

UK ENVOY: Talking to British High Commissioner Hilary Synnott, who called on him here, the senior minister said the loans extended by the World Bank and Asian Development Bank had been beneficial to the development of the province but they were adding to the debt burden.

He said that if Britain wanted to assist the government in its development plans, it should extend grants instead of loans.

The high commissioner assured the minister of assistance on behalf of his government and added that the UK was providing grants to the province. He said he would meet the minister in January to plan sustainable programmes for the development of the province.