Tribal people laud increase in allocation for FATA, TDPs

PESHAWAR: The tribal people including parliamentarians, chieftains, and elders here on Wednesday lauded massive increase in allocation of funds for the FATA and the Temporarily Displaced People (TDPs) in the federal budget 2018-19, termed it a significant step forward to bring tribal areas into the national mainstream.

Member of National Assembly (MNA) Shah Gee Gul Afridi, who is also parliamentary leader of FATA parliamentarians, said that a gigantic development package has been announced in the budget 2018-19 for speedy development of the tribal areas and TDPs’ rehabilitation, which was a positive step forward for socio-economic emancipation of tribal people.

The government has proposed a huge amount of Rs 24.5 billion for uplift of the FATA in the budget 2018-19, which was being appreciated in the tribal areas by cross section of the society including elders, chieftains, academicians, students and civil society. He said that a 10-year FATA Development Plan (FDP) with total outlay of Rs100 billion has been approved in the budget that was praised worthy.

The government has proposed allocation of Rs10 billion that would help bring tribal areas at par of developed regions. “The displaced people had suffered a lot in war against terrorism and earmarking of Rs 90 billion for them in the budget would help minimise their sufferings besides expedite pace of rehabilitation and reconstruction in all those areas affected by militancy,” he remarked.

Shah Gee Gul said that the tribal people had rendered great sacrifices in war against terrorism and the best tributes to them was completion of all the reconstruction and rehabilitation projects as quickly as possible so that they could live in their native areas in dignified manner with all facilities available to them at their doorsteps.

He said that transparent utilisation of these massive funds would help bring all those areas at par with settled areas of the province within two years. He said that extension of the Supreme Court (SC) and the Peshawar High Court’s (PHC) jurisdiction to FATA was the long standing demand of the tribal people that was fulfilled today by the federal government.

Malik Mumtaz Khan has also praised the PMLN-led government for allocating huge development package for FATA and the displaced people’s uplift in budget 2018-19. He commended Prime Minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi for inaugurating the newly-constructed Miranshah Market Complex in North Wazirstan Agency which includes 1344 shops, parks, car parking, solar lights, driveways and water supply network besides Ghulam Khan Trade Terminal as part of the Central Trade Corridor.

These projects were one of the major demands of the tribal people of North Waziristan that was fulfilled today by Prime Minister Abbasi, he said. The newly-constructed trade terminal and communication infrastructure in the tribal areas would connect this market complex with CPEC at Dera Ismail Khan and would have its share in national and regional trade routes, he said.

MNA Shahabuddin Khan also hailed allocation of development package in the budget and said only its transparent utilisation would help address problems of the tribal people. He said that lapse of the development funds in the past had affected pace of the development in the tribal areas.

He said that the people would get relief only when all the government’s funds may be utilized on the ground as per wishes and aspirations of tribal people. Shahab demanded that all those elements that involved in the lapse of development funds should be held accountable for their negligence.