Disbursement under ERKF to start shortly, PA told

Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Assembly was Tuesday assured that disbursement of grants among the terrorism and flood affected entrepreneurs of the province will restart soon. The matter of the non-issuance of grants under Economic Revitalisation of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and FATA (ERKF) project was pointed out by Sardar Aurangzeb Nalotha of PML-N.
He told the house that a large number of the people affected by terrorism are staging protest outside the provincial assembly. He said that fund for the economic revitalisation was provided by the World Bank. He said that the protestors are demanding the immediate release of the cheques of already approved grants.
Syed Jafar Shah of ANP said that the house has already constituted a committee and asked the chair to direct it for the resolution of the issue in one or two days so the payments will start soon. He said that 157 cases, which have been approved, should be given the cheques as soon as possible and for this purpose a meeting of the committee should be convened with immediate effect.
Bakht Baidar Khan of QWP informed the house, that earlier the cash was with National Accountability Bureau (NAB) and now it is lying with the Ehtesab Commission. But due to the fear of the Ehtesab Commission none of the official is prepare to work.
The situation, he said is also resulting in the lapsing of the funds of the annual development programme (ANP) in the province. He said that the share of FATA in the head has already been utilised, but the share of the province is remaining unutilised. He said that World Bank has given a deadline of October 31, 2015 for the closure of the project.
Responding the point of orders, Special Assistant to CM, Abdul Monim Khan said that in this regard, he has already talked to ERKF and Small and Medium Enterprise Development Authority (SMEDA) and payment to cleared SMEs will start soon. He dispelled the impression of any corruption in the distribution of the grants and was confident that they will meet the deadline of the World Bank. The chair, Anisa Zeb Tahirkheli also urged the government for meeting the deadline and guaranteeing of the distribution of the grants.