Army a major stakeholder in Fata development sector
Army soldiers walk past damaged houses in Loi Sam, in the Bajur tribal region in 2008. – File photo by AP
PESHAWAR, Aug 7: Army has become a permanent stakeholder in the Federally Administered Tribal Areas’ development sector as its recommended development projects are executed every year with Fata’s development funds, according to official sources.
Development projects worth millions of rupees are executed every year in Fata on the recommendations of military authorities posted in Fata, officials told Dawn on Tuesday.
“Army officers concerned frequently visit the Governor House and Fata Secretariat to get their proposed community uplift projects for various tribal areas covered under the Fata ADP,” a knowledgeable official said.
A good number of small development projects, including reconstruction of roads, water supply schemes, sewerage and other community welfare schemes, are provided funding on the recommendation of the military authorities, the sources said.
Apart from small schemes the army has also got ADP funding for some major initiatives, including establishment of a couple of technical institutes and rehabilitation centres for militants in Fata. These projects, said an official, involved millions of rupees investment which the army got from Fata’s regular ADP.
However, such development projects, said the official, had been a pain in the neck for civilian authorities because they caused fiscal complications, and distortions in the ADP. Many a scheme, according to the officials, are channelised through the Governor House from where Fata Secretariat is instructed to provide funds for the army’s recommended schemes.
“When they say provide funds for the 40 Division’s projects, no one can deviate,” said an official, adding these projects were launched as ‘non-ADP’ schemes and executed by providing fund from the regular ADP resources.
Officials said that in principle there should be no non-ADP projects. These schemes, they added, left serious implications for the regular ADP as changes had to be made in the ADP funding plan, diverting money from regular development projects to non-ADP schemes.
An official explained that non-ADP projects launched in financial year 2011-12 were executed by diverting funds from the ADP for that year. However, those schemes were reflected in the next financial year’s ADP as ongoing activities, bringing them under the ambit of development programme.
In one such instance, the establishment of Cadet College at Wana, South Waziristan, had been carried out at a cost of Rs185 million. The money was extended as ‘grant-in-aid’ to Headquarter 9 division on the governor’s directives. The project spent almost 100 per cent of the approved funding by June 30, 2012, and a fraction of the approved funding would be provided under the new financial year’s ADP.
Similarly, according to a source, in another instance a Rs145 million ‘grant-in-aid’ has been given to headquarter 40 division for establishing a Cadet College at Sararogha, South Waziristan.
In this case, too, a substantial amount of the approved funding was spent by June 30, 2012, and the remaining sum would be provided under the current financial year’s ADP, said an official.
Officials said that provision of funds to the army’s projects had been causing dismay among the elected representatives from Fata. Since money is provided from the regular ADP this usually leads to negatively affect the elected representatives’ development projects in their constituencies.
“Fata members of the National Assembly and Senate complain that they use their political influence to get funds released from the federal government for development works in their areas, but at the end a substantial amount of those funds are spent on development activities run by army,” said an official.
Army’s involvement in the development sector has also not being taken well by the civilian authorities. Officials said that projects proposed by the military authorities were planned without taking input from the official planners of the federal government.
Since money has to be provided from the ADP funds, it causes alterations under the federal government’s development strategy for Fata, thinning out the development funds among hundreds of development projects executed under the ADP.
Thought provoking article…. look at the above "story photo" and decide urself what the army can do better to a place?? All they are good in is to destroy. they have destroyed most of the FATA area, now they are taking ADP funds by force as author mentioned as quoting an official: “When they say provide funds for the 40 Division’s projects, no one can deviate”. That was bit serious part. now look at the funny side of the story. after all wat army is doing to the area, they should have spent on by building Hospitals, Dispensaries and thing like that where people, who severely injured because of "war on terror", should have given at least initial treatment, but what they are spending on is too much funny! they are building Cadet Colleges worth Rs185m and Rs145m. please somebody help me understand that a human screaming of intense pain needs a "school" not "pain killer".
That`s why we are un secure on boarders , They came and hit our soldiers and operated more then 2 hours in top high profile zone with helicopters but our radar were sleeping like soldiers as well. We need to specify our jobs. Can some one from NGO or development sector person can start mobilization in army residential area, never ever, Then why army working in civilian area. Army must remember their oath and ToR`s .
No matter what, it seems that Pakistanis will always be complaining and whining.
Our army is the only government institution that has made a major difference for the better in peoples lives. However, on the civilian side, I can only think of two Pakistani individuals that have made a major difference; Abdus Sattar Edhi and Imran Khan. Long live Pakistan's army. Long live Pakistan.
I think Pakistan needs a strong education system. In other words, the developed nations of the world have made their progress through better and stronger education policies and not through military affairs. I am also a kind of apprehended that the corruption will flow from the civilians to the military if not properly monitored.
Its because the civilians are only good in taking money and counting money,they have no clue about planning,heck management period.
That's why army senior officials are happy in Fata coz they always make millions once they are posted or are concerned with FATA and these projects….
Army gets things done, elected officials..well the less said the better!
Fighting an insurgency requires that after military action, immediate reconstruction and rehabilitation happens in the area otherwise the populace may not have much of a choice but to support militants or tolerate them.
What the Army is doing is part and parcel of their Counter Insurgency campaign and these efforts, even if they bypass the elected representatives owing to the urgency, should be lauded and given increased support. The FATA has to be integrated into mainstream Pakistan and the development of the people of Fata should be done at war footing to make up for the neglect of past 60 years. If the Army leads the way in getting the development done, so be at. The vast majority of Pakistanis are supportive and appreciative of the efforts put in by the Pakistan Army.
let the army work in FATA and see in glorious results, the nation has witnessed since 1958.
This is because army has tarnished their image in fata and now they are carrying this project to recuperate their it.but dont think so they could.
Never heard of this logic or line of reasoning before. How can one patry tarnish the image of another if the other party was not doing anything useful to begin with?
Good job Afridi.Because you know the situation better than these ignorant people.
If this would have done after Pakistan independence (1947), this would not happened now, but it's a pity that human nature learn after loss of million of human lives.
The politics must be understand that, now as Army / Government is doing / want to to development projects in Fata or waziristan, the political mafia is ruing / destroying the other side of the country, like Karachi and Baluchistan.
So what we going to achieve end of the day ? What's the results come out if we make some development in fata or waziristan ? we going to loose Karachi and Baluchistan ?
Pakistani will do anything but to accept their own mistake and they wont stop repeating forever, they beg to anyone but they wont turn to almighty for help…
This is because the civilian apparatus is not up to mark, and is afraid of any development work in the region. Also, the law and order situation is such that private contractors would not be willing to take the risk.
I think due to deteriorating law and order situation Army remains the best choice to complete welfare and development projects in FATA as army is the biggest stakeholder in view of its engagement in anti terrorist operations. Fortunately we have also witnessed many of these projects completed in record time with transparecy despite hostile conditions. Political expediency in FATA will lead us nowhere, however locan political figures must be consulted for development works to help political process to continue. Pak Army Zindabad
Shame the cilivian government is bickering and not doing real work
Civilian authorities should not make it an issue, because the progress on ground matters. What have they delivered in the over all in the country. How many development projects are being undertaken. So please let the people do at least who are doing something. FATA is such an area where security is big issue, so people other than army may not be able to undertake the projects. So let the army do, army is ours. Trust them!
Hand over the money to elected members and then see what they do with the money. Had the money been spent correctly today there wouldn't have any militancy in FATA.
Why the civilians are crying over some thing which they could not accomplish in years.In some instances the money was spent and there were no structures on the ground.The "so called elected representatives" are nothing but THIEVES.They should never be involved in development projects.All the people in the tribal areas are appreciative of the steps taken by army.
Thank You for this article. No one ever talked about Pakistan Army's development of schools and infrastructure in the effected areas but the fake liberals are quick to blame the army if something goes wrong.