Govt. takes major initiatives for swift development of FATA

PESHAWAR, Dec 23 (APP): The government has devised a comprehensive development strategy to bring about a qualitative change in the socio‑economic condition of the tribesmen.

Record allocation of Rs. 7616.00 million has made in the annual development programme 2008‑09 for implantation of 884 on going and 189 new schemes in education, health, communication, agriculture, power and other social sectors.

A spokesman of Media Cell Fata told APP that roads and education stand atop the development strategy and the highest allocation of Rs. 2193.622 million which is 21.10 percent of the development outlay has been made for execution of 177 schemes in communication sector.

The second highest financial allocation of Rs. 1606.726 million has been made for promotion and expansion of education facilities, he added.

The major schemes in education sector include introduction of Post Graduate classes in Govt. Degree College Khar, (Bajaur Agency), Parachinar, (Kurram Agency) and Miranshah, (North Waziristan Agency), construction of student/teachers hostels in Post Graduate Colleges in FATA, establishment of women hostels, rehabilitation and upgradation of the existing educational institutions, provision of free text books upto 10^th class, award of scholarships to FATA students, introduction of technical education and mainstream Information Technology, establishment of public schools and construction of sports stadiums in all the agencies.

A sum of Rs. 244.486 million has been set apart for implementation of 28 development schemes in education sector in South Waziristan while Rs. 203.844, Rs. 202.997, Rs. 185.449, Rs. 171.842, Rs. 128.621 and Rs. 93.109 are being spent in North Waziristan, Kurram, Khyber, Bajaur, Mohmand and Orakzai Agencies respectively.

He said that provision of Rs. 198.797 million has been made in the current financial year’s budget for a number of educational schemes in the six Frontier Regions of FATA. Initiatives are also underway to establish quality educational institutions in FATA with focus on free education to talented tribal students in the premier educational institutions of NWFP.