Body reviews progress on implementation of decisions

F.P. Report

PESHAWAR: Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Caretaker Minister for Newly Merged Districts Affairs, Industries, Commerce and Technical Education, Dr. Aamer Abdullah chaired a meeting of the Special Steering Committee, formed for Newly Merged Districts here on Monday in the Cabinet Room at Civil Secretariat.

Besides, Additional Chief Secretary Planning and Development Syed Imtiaz Hussain Shah, Secretary Health Mehmood Aslam Wazir, Secretary Communications and Works Muhammad Idrees Khan, Secretary Relief Inayatullah Wasim, Secretary Industries, Syed Zulfiqar Ali Shah, Special Secretaries Home and P&D Departments Muhammad Zubair and Kamran Afridi, Officers of Police, Pakistan Army and other departments attended.

In the meeting, the progress and implementation of the tasks given to various departments in the decisions of the previous meetings of the steering committee and provincial task force formed under the chairmanship of the Chief Minister were reviewed.

On this occasion, the forum was informed that the process of capacity building of police in NMDs is on progress.19 DSPs and 85 inspectors of police have been promoted to the next grades while recruitment of 1571 police personnel through Educational Testing and Evaluation Agency (ETEA), will also be completed soon. Similarly, 513 ghost employees have also been removed from the police in these districts.

The forum instructed that the identified sites for construction of various police infrastructures in some districts may be handed over to C&W department so that to start the construction work at the earliest on it.

On this occasion, it was also directed to speed up the process of establishing judicial offices in North Waziristan, South Waziristan and Orakzai.

The caretaker minister directed to take up the case regarding stipend scheme for the children of the merged districts with finance department within two days while further directed the education department to present reasonable proposals in the next meeting of the task force for the purpose of running the Governor Model Schools in the merged districts with better management and quality.

He said that the department should present models of various private educational chains who working on public private partnership with reasonable costs in other provinces in terms of running the government institutions.

He instructed to update the land settlement and digitization project in the merged districts on proper project management tool.

During the meeting Accelerated Implementation Programme and rural development projects were also discussed.

The caretaker minister said that the release of the remaining 75% of the funds to the outsourced hospitals in the merged districts should be ensured within a day. He also directed the P&D Department to forward the new HIEP economic plan for the merged districts to the Islamic Development Bank for possible financial cooperation.

The caretaker minister directed to keep in touch with the Advocate General’s Office for the purpose of consultation and guidance regarding the necessary legal and technical matters. He said that the concerned department should take necessary steps to bring the small irrigation dams in the merged districts into use for the purpose of promoting fisheries.

He said that in connection with the establishment of Small Industrial Estate in Bajaur, payments to the land owners should be ensured soon. As a result of the division of South Waziristan district into two districts, he directed for posting the staff on new posts created in the new district and to present their statistics before the task force meeting in this regard.

The caretaker minister said that the industry and agriculture departments should prepare a joint plan by January 10 regarding the revitalization of Agricultural Park in Wana.

In the meeting, a briefing was also given on the plan of the 5-year educational program “Ilam Da Tolo Dapara” to be launched for the merged districts. In order to make the plan effective and useful, the caretaker minister directed to make it complete in every aspect and to include all the factors required for good governance in it.