Govt should ensure timely distribution of allocated funds for FATA: NA body

Govt should ensure timely distribution of allocated funds for FATA: NA body

By Mohammad Saleem Mehsud

ISLAMABAD, Jan 10: Member of the Standing Committee of States and Frontier Regions (SAFRON) on Monday unanimously proposed recommendation to invite the Federal Minister Finance Dr Abdul Hafeez Sheikh in the Standing Committee’s next meeting to inform him about the non-availability of proscribed funds allocated for boosting developing projects in Federally Administered Tribal Areas (FATA). The Members also demanded the government to ensure timely disbursement of allocated funds.

The meeting was chaired by Chairman Standing Committee SAFRON Hafiz Rasheed Ahmad here at Parliament House in which it was proposed by members of the committee not to force the locals of tribal areas to form peace forces and also asked the government to shun the policy of partiality towards the tribal living in (FATA).

“The heads of law enforcement agencies will also be invited in the next meeting of the Standing Committee to ascertain their views about the real law and order situation in the tribal areas,” members of the Committee proposed.

Additional Secretary FATA Habibullah Khan addressed the Committee about the annual development programs in FATA, 2010-2011. He said that government has allocated at least Rs 15 billion funds for initiation of development projects in tribal areas but the released fund during the fiscal year was over Rs 3 billion which has been spent by the FATA Secretariat in respective fields.

“Due to non-availability of desired funds development schemes in FATA met their fate,” Habibullah reiterated and said that FATA is the most poor and neglected area of our country where people were living in gruesome condition. Additional Secretary added that repatriation process of the IDPs of SWA is underway but the process is not as fast as that of Orakzai Agency.

Senator Saleh Shah asked the Additional Secretary about the condition of those students and teachers who were taken to the Skarkot School situated in Makin area of South Waziristan Agency (SWA) as locals have not yet returned to the area, Habibullah responded that the school was constructed by the Air Force as it was destroyed by forces because militants were using it as hiding place. Habibullah said that government has been constructing hostels for the teachers and students and providing them every possible security in the area.

Senator Professor Mohammad Ibrahim told the Committee that army personnel have occupied building of a school in Dara Adamkhel Agency and has adopted the same strategy in other tribal areas which contributed to further endangering the education condition in the tribal areas. Members of the Committee proposed that government should take effective measures to improve the health, communication and education system in the tribal areas.

Federal Minister SAFRON Najmuddin Khan asked the FATA Secretariat officials to coordinate with SAFRON about the issues of non-availability of allocated fund in order to present the demand of timely release of funds jointly to the government.

Senator Engineer Rasheed Ahmad talking to INP said that Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani earlier in a meeting said that foreign fund for the tribal areas has been drawn in exchange of the tribesmen blood so this should be given to the respective secretariat timely in order to boost development schemes.