ISLAMABAD: The United Nations Development Program (UNDP) has expressed its interest to conduct a study on electrification of merged areas of erstwhile Tribal Areas.

According to Kaiser Ishaque, Assistant Resident Representative Chief, Democratic Governance Unit, of UNDP, Merged Areas Governance Project (MAGP) is a technical assistance project to transform the lives of the people of erstwhile Federally Administered Tribal Areas through peaceful integration with Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP), the extension of civilian governance institutions, and socio- economic development. Its aim is to create opportunities for transformative development through innovative approaches that effectively respond to the complexity of the context.

In light of the findings from research studies and surveys conducted by UNDP/MAGP, it has emerged that electrification remains a top priority for the citizenry in the Merged Areas. The Accelerated Implementation Programme (AIP) baseline survey administered by Bureau of Statistics, KP indicates that although 80 percent of the Merged Areas have access to electricity, average load shedding accounts for at least 12 to 24 hours on a daily basis.

“Chronic load shedding disrupts everyday life and directly impacts socioeconomic development,” said Ishaque in a letter to Secretary Power Division.

UNDP argues that a team of national and international experts at MAGP aims to conduct a study on electrification of Merged Areas including improving billing and solarization for better supply.

The study, UNDP believes, will be useful in designing interventions that seek to improve bill collection for better supply, reduce electricity theft, and promote solarization of households and communities.

The MAGP team will coordinate with the Planning & Development, GoKP along with TESCO and the KP Energy and Power Department in this regard.

For this purpose, UNDP has requested that MAGP team be provided access to the required data which is critical to the research study and will create a knowledge base for the Government of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa that enables it to take judicious decision and policy making.

The project will help the Merged Areas of erstwhile FATA to achieve development goals.

Analysts, however, are of the view that it would be a very difficult decision for the government to give access to sensitive data to an international organisation, as the results of past such experiences were not found to be in the national interest with Dr Shakil Afridi cited as an example.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2021