Government plans to initiate 18 new uplift projects in erstwhile Fata: Senate body informed

The government has planned to initiate 18 new development projects in erstwhile FATA for which Rs 166 million have been allocated for construction of small dams, skill development, technical education, industry, mineral exploration and research development schemes.
Briefing the Senate Standing Committee on States and Frontier Regions (SAFRON) chaired by Senator Taj Mohammad Afridi, Additional Chief Secretary FATA Sikandar Qayyum informed the committee that for the ongoing 114 schemes by FATA Development Authority (FDA), an amount of Rs 3,434 million has been allocated.
While for the new 18 schemes, he said that a survey is being conducted of the erstwhile FATA and on the basis of that data, the new schemes will be launched for the development of these areas.
The committee recommended that along with concerned departments and the stakeholders, the parliamentarians should also be consulted on the development schemes while the ongoing projects should continue. The additional chief secretary FATA further told the committee that at the time of the merger of the FATA with Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, 3 percent share in the National Finance Commission (NFC) award was recommended for the FATA for 10 years.
The committee was also updated on the return of the temporarily displaced persons (TDPS) by the additional secretary FATA who stated that a new phase of the IDPs' return will start after the 15th of the next month.
He said that there are a total of 1,117 displaced families who will be repatriated to their homes while 90,000 displaced families have already been returned to their homes.
The chairman of the committee referred to the protest demonstration in Tirah Valley by the TDPs due to non-registration and asked the department concerned to complete their registration process and give them the approved package accordingly. However, the committee was informed that in a special case, a registration centre was established for the reason but they failed to get themselves registered at the centre.
On this, the panel was informed that all the unregistered TDPs should return to their homes and those whose homes have completely been damaged will be given Rs 0.4 million to each family while Rs 160,000 will be given to those whose homes were partially damaged, besides giving 6- month ration to all the families.
The additional chief secretary FATA told the committee that there are a total of 10 government funded organisations currently working in the erstwhile FATA and they are working on 19 projects with a total of 417 employees - 193 locals and 224 outsiders. He said that all the organisations have been instructed to give top priority to the people from erstwhile FATA in their recruitments.
He also suggested that Economic Affairs Division should be asked to include a clause on the rules of engagements of international donors and non-governmental organisations so that priority should be given to the people from erstwhile FATA in the recruitment process.
Agricultural Development Bank president and the Ministry of Finance officials told the committee that on the directives of the Prime Minister, the State Bank of Pakistan (SBP) has instructed all banks /PDFIs, including development banks to give a relief package to the seven districts of Malakand Division of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa including Swat, Buner, Chitral, Lower, and Upper Dir.
They said that the newly-merged three tribal districts including Bajaur, Kurram and Khyber were not included in relief package on which the committee noted that the Prime Minister's announcement also mentioned about FATA.
The committee asked the concerned departments to come up with detailed explanations within two weeks as to why the tribal districts were excluded from relief package.
The committee also noted that relief package was for the whole FATA and recommended that as the relief package was for 2009 and it should be extended till 2011. The panel also recommended that agriculture loans of the farmers should be written off during the said period.