Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Govt Announces Rs73 Bn For Merged Areas Under 10 Years Development Programme

Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Govt Announces Rs73 Bn For Merged Areas Under 10 Years Development Programme

KP govt announces Rs73 bn for merged areas under 10 years development programme

PESHAWAR, (APP 20th Jun, 2020): The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Government here Friday announced to provide Rs 73 billion to merged areas under 10 years development programme.

Finance Minister Taimour Salim Jhagra in his budget 2020-21 speech disclosed that said Rs 73 billion would be provided to merged areas under 10 years development programme to bring it at par with settled districts of the province.

During first three years, focus would be made on education, health, employment and economic development in merged areas while in the second phase concentration would be given to infrastructure, roads and other mega projects.

He said special focus on quick resulted oriented projects would be made in the third phase.

The Minister said Rs1 billion allocated for provision of medicines, medical supplies at hospitals, Rs 1 billion for medical and non medical equipment, Rs 1 billion for recruitment of doctors in remote areas and Rs800 million for six types D hospitals through health foundation.

He said Rs 700 million were earmarked for services of 100 specialist doctors consultants, Rs 10 million for regional blood centre, Rs 100 million for nurses and paramedics recruitment, and Rs50 million for establishment of trauma centres at districts headquarters hospitals in merged districts.

For education sector, the KP Government has allocated Rs 3.7 billion for provision of stipends to male and female students of merged areas, Rs 2 billion for provision of basic and fulfillment of missing facilities through parents teachers committees, Rs 500 million for free books and Rs400 million for science and IT labs establishment.

Rs 250 million were proposed for upgradation of 73 high schools to higher secondary level and 69 middle schools to high schools, Rs 50 million for education voucher schemes, Rs50 million for land acquirement for existing public colleges and construction of new buildings, Rs 490 million for transport facilities to colleges students and Rs 200 million for stipends to college students in merged areas.

The minister said the Government was also giving special attention on sports and tourism uplift in merged areas by allocating Rs 1.2 billion for establishment and improvement of sports facilities in the budget 2020-21.

He said Rs 1.15 billion allocated for youth development, Rs 400 million for sports promotion, Rs 100 million for startup programme and Rs100 million for holding art and culture events in merged districts.