PESHAWAR: The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) government’s approved development plan for tribal areas worth 9 billion rupees has not materialized into reality as the provincial government could not released funds because of financial challenges.
Despite the allocation of funds for these projects in the current fiscal year, there has been no forward movement, leading to concerns that these projects will remain confined to paperwork.
Initially included in the developmental program for the fiscal year 2022-23, these projects have yet to see any substantial progress. Since June 2022, these initiatives have only been part of the developmental program without any work being initiated.
According to documents from the Planning and Development (P&D) Department, the total cost for the District Development Plan in the merged districts is 5 billion rupees. But, no funds have been released for this purpose so far. Similarly, the estimated cost for the District Development Plan in districts like Khyber, Bajaur, Mohmand, Orakzai, Kurram, North Waziristan, and South Waziristan is Rs.400 million each.
For the tribal districts, an overall estimate of 2.80 billion rupees has been projected. The estimated costs for all divisions, including Hassan Khel, Dara Adam Khel, Wazir, Bhatani, Drazanda, and Jandola, amount to Rs200 million each. However, there has been no progress in the past fiscal year.
Similarly, in the current fiscal year, no funds have been disbursed for these projects, which has resulted in a lack of progress in the Tribal Districts Development Plan.
The lack of progress on these development projects is a major setback for the people of the tribal areas, who have been promised a better future after the merger with Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.
