PESHAWAR: The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government has allocated Rs162 billion for the merged tribal districts in the next budget with the development outlay totaling Rs100 billion.

The 2019-20 budget, the province’s first following the merger of Fata with KP, will be announced by finance minister Taimur Saleem Jhagra in the provincial assembly on Tuesday (June 18).

The documents available with Dawn show that the government has pitched the total development outlay for merged districts in the next fiscal at Rs100 billion.

Of Rs100bn uplift funding, Rs59bn meant for 10 years Tribal Decade Strategy

A total of Rs24 billion has been earmarked for the region’s annual development programme, which includes the provincial component of Rs20 billion or district portfolio of Rs4 billion.

The government has planned to spend Rs59 billion on the 10 Years Tribal Decade Strategy. The federal government will contribute Rs48 billion to it, while the provincial government’s share stands at Rs11 billion.

Under plans, around Rs1 trillion will be spent on the development of the region’s economic and development profile under the 10 years programme.

In the next financial year, the government will spend Rs17 billion on the development of internally displaced persons.

The current expenditure in 2019-20 will total Rs62 billion.

The finance department will release Rs10 billion for 10 projects under the Tribal Areas Electric Supply Company (Tesco), energy and power, launch of Rescue 1122 service in the defunct Frontier Regions and development of industries in the current year. Of the amount, Rs5 billion has been allocated for seven Tesco projects.

In the energy and power sector, Rs4 billion will be spent on Chapari Charkhel hydropower project in Kurram tribal district and over Rs1 billion on Rescue 1122 service in defunct Frontier Regions. Over Rs1 billion has been doled out for the Insaf Rozgar Scheme in the region.

“Rs10 billion will be released on Monday,” an official told Dawn.

The documents show that over Rs2.4 billion will be spent in tribal districts under the ADP 2019-20 in line with the prime minister’s directives.

Of the amount, Rs362 million will go to introduction of telemedicine and construction of sports facilities in North Waziristan district, Rs180 million to the establishment of a small industrial zone and solarisation of mosques Bajaur and Mohmand districts, Rs166 million to the solarisation of mosques in Khyber district, Rs475 million to the promotion of tourism and construction of sports stadium in Orakzai district, while Rs1.2 billion will be spent on the construction of check dams, sports complexes and grounds in Spinkai and Wana, solarisation of tubewells, and educational institutions in South Waziristan district.

The documents say Rs1.9 billion will be spent in four merged districts during the next fiscal on the directives of the chief minister.

Of the funds, Rs184 million will be spent on the construction of three roads in Khyber district, Rs970 million on the improvement of 54km Mirali-Thall Road and the three-kilometer Bypass Road leading to Sabzi Mewa Mandi via Sarai Darpakhel in North Waziristan district, while Rs180 million has been doled out for 6km road from Dashak to Raseen Haris Koroona in Makin tehsil of South Waziristan district and Rs600 million for the establishment of a medical college in Kurram district.

KP finance minister Taimur Saleem Jhagra had said on Friday that the next year’s budgetary allocations for tribal districts would be Rs83 million more than the current one’s.

He said Prime Minister Imran Khan, the provincial chief minister and Pakistan Army were taking keen interest in the rapid development of the region.

Mr Jhagra said the Pakistan Army gave up its Rs100 billion budget share for the development of merged districts and Balochistan showing its commitment for the region’s uplift.

Published in Dawn, EOS, June 16th, 2019