The first instalment of Rs 5 billion allocated for the repatriation and rehabilitation of the Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) of the Federally Administered Tribal Areas has been received by the FATA Secretariat.
This was disclosed during a high level meeting convened to review progress on the development package announced by the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Governor Sardar Mahtab Ahmad Khan for Tirah Valley in the Khyber Agency.
The meeting was informed that on the directives of the Governor Sardar Mahtab Ahmad Khan a comprehensive development programme had been devised for the repatriation, rehabilitation and reconstruction of the tribesmen who were displaced during the recent military operations against the terrorists.
It was further disclosed in the meeting that rupees 4 lakh would be provided to the owners of completely damaged houses while rupees 160,000/- would be given to each owner of partially damaged houses.
The meeting also told that to prepare estimates of the damages in a transparent way a committees consisting of the local political administration, personnel of the law enforcing agencies as well as local tribesmen had been established. It was revealed that the local committees established in the agencies had so far started survey in the North and South Waziristan Agencies as well as Khyber Agency.
It was stated that the committees after completing survey in the Shalobar and Qamber Khel tehsils of Bara were now busy in making survey at Tirah Valley and were preparing estimates of the damages. It was stated that soon after finalising the survey, provision of financial assistance to all the effected tribesmen would be started.
The governor was told that a cash amount of Rs 5 billion had so far been received to the FATA Secretariat. He was told that besides the cash amount the FATA Disaster Management had distributed 390 shelter repair kits, 470 roof kits and 65 shelters in Tirah Valley while 18000 more roof kits would be distributed soon in Tirah.
The Governor Sardar Mahtab Ahmad Khan was told that on his directives work on the Rs 3.5 billion development package for the remote areas of Tirah was in progress in which the remote areas of Tirah would be linked with the other developed areas.
It was stated that the development activities could be judged from the fact that for the first time in the history of Tirah and other tribal areas, a blacktopped road had been constructed in which the Bagh Maidan area of Tirah had been linked with Daboori area of Orakzai Agency. Moreover 16 kilometre portion of the road had been completed while work on 40 kilometre portion was in progress with an enhanced speed. Besides this to link Tirah Valley with the Kurram Agency work on Bagh Maidan-Haider Kundaw road was also in progress which would be completed soon.
It was told that the Governor Sardar Mahtab Ahmad Khan had also approved Tirah Maidan to Dawtoi Road which would link Tirah with Bara through Peshawar and after construction of the road the distance between Tirah and Peshawar would be reduced to 86 km from 186 km.
Moreover, with implementation of the development package for the first time tehsildar would be posted in Tirah after establishment of Tehsil in the area. It was also stated that to control law and order in Tirah 200 Levies personnel had been recruited. Moreover opening of schools and health institutions, financial assistance was also being provided to the private schools through FATA Education Foundation. It may be recalled that for the first time anti-polio drive was successfully launched in Tirah Valley.
The Governor Sardar Mahtab Ahmad Khan expressed satisfaction over the development initiatives so far taken in the tribal belt especially in Tirah Valley and pledged that the tribal people would be extended all possible support in their bid to survive. He greatly commended the sacrifices of the tribal people and stated that to reciprocate the noble sacrifices of the dwellers of the tribal belt every effort would be done.