PESHAWAR, March 31: Some 3,800 micro-level development schemes completed under the Khushal Pakistan Programme (KPP) created thousands of jobs and benefited a large segment of the NWFP population, especially by improving communication and water supply sectors in the rural areas, claim the NWFP government’s statistics.
Since the beginning of the KPP in fiscal 2000-01, Rs2.6 billion micro-level uplift projects have been completed in the NWFP.
Though the schemes completed appeared to be much less than the projects [6,688] approved for execution under three phases of the KPP, the completed plans are reported to have benefited many people.
Out of the 6,688 schemes approved for execution in the three phases, 930 pertained to Phase-I, 1,626 pertained to Phase-II while 4,132 schemes were planned for execution under Phase-III.
Over one million jobs in various categories were created in the first phase and over 900,000 in the second phase. Whereas the largest number of jobs [2.5 million] was stated to be created under Phase-III for around 4,132 schemes.
The total cost of the 6,688 schemes okayed for execution under the KPP were estimated at Rs3.832 billion, of which some 3,800 projects were completed with Rs2.6 billion by the November last.
The official sources talked to Dawn conceded that sustainability of the KPP-funded schemes was posing a big question mark in view of increasing financial constraints being experienced by the district governments.
However, they claimed that thousands of micro-level development schemes involving farm to market roads, water supply schemes, lining of water courses and desilting of canals had benefited millions of people across the province.
“If sustainability of the schemes completed under the KPP is ensured, there is no doubt about it that a large number of people will continue to benefit for a longer period of time,” said an officer of the NWFP local government and rural development department.
But there was no denying the fact, said an officer, that the district governments were hardly in a position to properly maintain their assets and infrastructure due to shortage of funds.
Official statistics show that well over 7.6 million people were benefited by 899 micro-level schemes completed under Phase-I of the KPP.
Similarly, 1,242 projects executed in the second phase of the programme have been estimated to benefit over 8.9 million people whereas 1,661 plans completed under Phase-III have been estimated to benefit over 16 million people.
The KPP-funded schemes, both completed and under execution, include 1,044 projects of farm to market roads, some 1,394 schemes of water supply rehabilitation, 86 plans of lining of water courses and desilting of canals, 493 schemes of repairing and resurfacing of small rural roads, 12 projects of maintenance and creation of water reservoir.
Besides these, 307 schemes were of essential repair of the existing primary and high schools; 1,167 projects of pavement of streets/drains/storm channels in villages; 117 plans of small soil conservation structures and spurs; three schemes of sewerage and garbage collection; five schemes of renovation and provision of civic amenities in town committees/municipal committees; seven schemes of procurement of equipment/machines for the existing vocation centres; 160 schemes of electrification, in addition to 592 plans categorised as “others”.