Federal Minister for Special Initiatives, Lal Muhammad Khan has said that the government has approved a special package for provision of gas and electricity facilities to people of Malakand Agency at their doorsteps. Talking to local reporters at his residence in Thana Malakand Agency, he said under the gigantic package of about Rs 80 million a grid station of electricity would be established at Batkhela.
He said that the package would bring positive changes in the socio-economic condition of downtrodden and poor people of mountainous Malakand Agency. Lal Muhammad Khan who belonged to Malakand Agency said that the government under the dynamic leadership of President Asif Ali Zardari and Prime Minister Syed Yusuf Raza Gilani was taking keen interest to bring positive improvement in the lives of downtrodden and poor people with special focus to bring the less developed areas of Fata at par with developed parts of the country.
Under the package, the minister said that Rs 60 million would be utilised for provision of gas facilities in different phases to the deprived areas of Malakand Agency while the remaining would be utilised under the head of electricity.
Likewise, he said that about Rs 16,300,000 would be spent on completion of feeder at Aladhand that will not only solve the low voltage problems in Batkhela, Aladhand and adjoining areas of the agency but would also ensure new connection to consumers.
The construction of grid station at Batkhela will help provide better power facilities to the masses. The Minister said that he was in close touch with Chairman Wapda in this regard and work on these projects would soon starts. He thanked Prime Minister Syed Yousuf Raza Gilani for approving special package for Malakand Agency.
He said that problems of the Malakand Agency could not be solved overnight but time will be required. The Minister said that he was well aware of peoples problems and would be solved in priority basis.
The Federal Minister said that record development projects and schemes were initiated in Malakand Agency during the last one year, which after completion would change destiny of people. He urged the party workers to remain in close contacts with people and informed them about the measures taken by the government for their uplift. The Minister listened to peoples problems and issued on the spot directives on some of the applications.