PESHAWAR: The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government has disbursed 90 per cent loans in the tribal districts under Insaf Rozgar Scheme.

An official statement issued here on Tuesday said that the provincial government had allocated Rs1,100 million under the scheme to create maximum employment opportunities in the tribal districts. So far 90 per cent of the loans had been disbursed and 100 per cent disbursement would be ensured by the end of current financial year.

The statement said that Chief Minister Mahmood Khan chaired a meeting, which reviewed progress so far made on various projects of industries, commerce and technical education department launched in the merged areas under the Accelerated Implementation Programme (AIP).

The meeting was informed that so far 3,936 individuals had been provided loans under Insaf Rozgar Scheme. Similarly, another scheme worth Rs1,100 million had also been launched for provision of interest-free loans to people for development of entrepreneurship in the tribal districts.

The meeting was informed that progress on implementation of the scheme was as per the given timelines and it would be completed by the year 2022. The statement said that scheme for provision of scholarships to youth of tribal districts for skill development training had also been submitted to the competent forum for formal approval, under which more than 15,000 youth would be provided scholarships.

Regarding the proposed projects to be included in the multibillion rupees AIP of upcoming financial year, the meeting was told that eight schemes had been proposed under Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Technical Education and Vocational Training Authority that included establishment of polytechnic institutes in Mohmand and North Waziristan, provision of transport facility, clean drinking water, machinery and equipments to technical educational institutes, construction of buildings for 10 technical and vocational training centres.

Similarly, under the Small Industries Development Board (SIDB), projects for the establishment of small industrial estates at Dara Adamkhel and Bajaur had also been proposed. The forum was also told that schemes for the establishment of Mohmand marble city and special economic zone in Khyber had been proposed under Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Economic Zone Development and Management Company.

The chief minister directed the authorities concerned to take concrete steps for timely completion of the ongoing projects and fix realistic timelines to complete all the processes of the new developmental schemes of NMDs.

Published in Dawn, June 10th, 2020