NWFP Minister for Finance Muhammad Humayun Khan has said that talks with federal government for payment of Rs 110 billion under the head of net profit on hydropower generation by Wapda to the province as per the decision of arbitration tribunal were underway. He was confident that the provincial government would succeed in getting the amount.
Addressing a seminar held under the auspices of Aurat Foundation on "Consultation on NWFP budget 2008-09 a gender perspective", the provincial minister said that the government had planned to initiate different projects in the social welfare and women development sector.
The NWFP Minister for Social Welfare Sitara Ayaz, MPAs Syeda Betol Nasir, Sanjeeda Yousaf, Sajida, Shazia Tehmas, Shagufta Malik, Nargis Amin, Director Aurat Foundation Rakhshanda Naz, Resident Director AF Shabina Ayaz, female belonging to different NGOs, journalists and educationists attended the seminar.
The minister said the government did not end the projects initiated by the previous government but sanctioned sufficient grants to complete the same as soon as possible. He said in the special programmes Rs 8 billion had been earmarked for 61 projects while Rs 68 million had been earmarked for the projects under the federal government support in the social welfare sector.
He disclosed that Rs 1.2 billion had been earmarked for the District Development Programme. The finance minister stated that this year the government had extended its social welfare strategy and had planned to take strides for educating the orphan children, imparting skills to females, assist the disabled and to provide monthly stipends to the aged people. He said steps had also been planned for the rehabilitation of beggars, providing medical cover to drug addicts and to assist the troubled women community as well.
He said for the establishment of women hospital in Peshawar, setting up of schools and colleges for women and women development centres, enough grants had been sanctioned in the budget. NWFP Minister for Social Welfare Sitara Ayaz commended the efforts of Aurat Foundation for the welfare of the women community and stated that the social welfare sector had badly been ignored during the past governments.
She said not only the ongoing schemes would be completed but the same would also be upgraded. She disclosed that this year beside 11 ongoing projects 7 new projects had been proposed in the social welfare sector mostly for the women community.
Dr Waqar Khan of the education department identified the prose and cons of the budget 2008-09 and briefed the participants on the allocations so far made in the budget for the interest of the female community. Director Finance Saifur Rahman Usmani briefed the participants in detail on the measures so far taken in the budget 2008-09 for the women community of NWFP.