NWFP Governor Owais Ahmed Ghani has stressed the need for an effective and sustainable monitoring mechanism to ensure quality and standard of construction, timely completion of development projects and efficient service delivery to the people of Fata.
He was presiding over a meeting on Fata monitoring cell, which was attended by all the directors of Fata line departments, besides Secretary to Governor Arbab Muhammad Arif and Secretary, Planning and Development, Fata, Zafar Hasan, covered all aspects of the monitoring system and performance, reports and findings of Fata monitoring cell.
The Director, Fata Monitoring Cell, briefed the Governor about the institutional arrangements, the methodology, criterion for selection of schemes for monitoring and the future strategy. It was stated that during the past five months, 130 ongoing schemes and 72 existing facilities had been checked.
He said that the monitoring patron for the current year had been changed and proper check on the quality of service delivery at the existing facilities had also been brought in the ambit of the cell.
Reports of the checks, carried out by the Monitoring Cell in November 2007 in Kurram Agency were also discussed, in which some instances of quality lapses, negligence and substandard construction had been observed.
The Governor stressed upon the Fata directorates, particularly the Works and Services Department, to regularly submit monthly progress reports of the work completed during the respective month so that step-by-step progress could be ascertained, enabling the Monitoring Cell to check the physical progress on ground.
The Governor said that he wanted the system to be improved, adding that huge development funds were pouring in and the department must have the capacity to utilise these funds and show substantial progress.
On a point, the Governor said that the Governor's inspection team would be responsible to inspect all the Federal-funded projects weather in Fata or in the province.
He appreciated the performance of Monitoring Cell, and said that all checks should be carried out on the basis of projects instead of areas. Reviewing reports of power sector projects, the Governor directed the Tesco to complete all those projects, for which payments had already been made.
On a point regarding dilapidated condition of school buildings in Kurram Agency, the Governor said that such schools should be given priority in repair work. The Governor desired that local talent should be given priority in employment, particularly in the education sector, to ensure better performance and control absenteeisn and they should be brought into main stream.