NWFP Governor Lieutenant General Ali Muhammad Jan Aurakzai (Retd) has reiterated the Federal government's firm commitment to strengthen and enhance the service delivery system in the Federally-Administered Tribal Areas (Fata) by providing maximum facilities to the tribesmen, particularly in education, health and communication sectors.
Talking to officials during a presentation on Kurram Agency at the Governor's House here on Wednesday, the Governor urged the respective government officials to ensure full and judicious utilisation of the budget allocations to facilitate the tribesmen.
Fata Secretary Muhammad Shahzad Arbab, Secretary to Governor Arbab Muhammad Arif and Political Agent Muhammad Saleem Khan, besides the heads of line department working in Kurram Agency, attended the presentation. The Political Agent briefed the Governor on the overall law and order situation in the agency, besides the development profile and other related matters.
The Governor was informed that Rs 633 million were being spent in Kurram Agency on 105 development schemes during the current financial year. The highest allocation of Rs 178.33 million had been made for education sector alone, which is 28 percent of the total budget allocation. In this sector, 501 educational institutions, including 185 for girls, were working.
The Governor was informed that since 2001-02, as many as 425 graduates, including 109 female had qualified from the Agency colleges. In communication sector, Rs 117.867 million would be spent on 25 development schemes. The Governor appreciated the educational development in Kurram Agency, and paid tributes to the tribesmen for having realised the importance of education.
He, however, urged the respective officials to take serious notice of the teachers' absenteeism, and ordered effective monitoring to improve the situation. During the presentation, the Governor was informed that five cities and towns in the Fata, including Bara, Jamrud, Khar, Mir Ali and Miranshah, had so far been linked through optic fibre.