PESHAWAR  -   Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Mahmood Khan has assured the extension of efficient healthcare and educational facilities to the newly seven merged districts of erstwhile Fata.

The schools would be made functional, the weaknesses in schools and hospitals would be overcome, the staff deficiency would be filled and the schools and hospitals devastated by the war on terror would be reconstructed and rehabilitated on emergency basis. There would be an overall recovery plan for mainstreaming the seven new districts merged into Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.

He was presiding over a meeting on the extension of efficient services in health, education and other social sectors in the seven newly merged districts of the erstwhile Fata into Khyber Pakhtunkhwa at Chief Minister Secretariat Peshawar. Minister Finance Taimur Jhagra, Special Assistant to CM on Education Ziaullah Bangash, senators of merged districts, MNAs, provincial government spokesman Ajmal Wazir, administrative secretaries, Special Secretary to CM Muhammad Khaliq and others attended.

Addressing the meeting, the Chief Minister said that he will personally visit the Fata University to see and assess the arrangements and facilities so far made. He said that the provincial government would plan the efficient use of pledged package by the federal government for mainstreaming the seven newly merged districts. We would work on an emergency basis in all sectors and the problems of Fata University would be resolved on emergency basis.

Mahmood Khan assured the establishment of new schools and hospitals on need basis in order to facilitate the people needing these facilities. He directed the education department to visit the tribal areas and prepare a roadmap for the establishment of colleges and schools in new districts.

The government would provide resources and necessary staffing for the full utilisation of institutions in both sectors. He directed to make functional all colleges in the new districts. There should be a separate plan for each college in order to provide teachers.

The Chief Minister directed the IMU to visit the educational institutions in the new districts and prepare a plan to overcome the deficiency and weaknesses and take action against the fake and ghost staff. He also directed the IMU to monitor all educational institutions including commerce college, technical colleges and other educational institutions. The existing system of education in the province would be extended to the new districts. He assured that the system of education would attract the parents to send their kids for quality education after merger.

He directed the health department to plan their own scheme for creating healthcare facilities in the new districts. The old system should go and it would be replaced by the new system in vogue in the province in order to resolve all health related problems in the new districts. He called upon the elected representatives to carry out persuasive and motivational interactions for the promotion of education in the new districts.

The provincial ministers would also visit these new districts and the efforts of the government should be supplemented by the elected representatives both MNAs and senators who would be taken onboard in the establishment of new schools and hospitals. He directed the health department to ensure the posting of doctors having domicile of the newly merged districts. The MNAs and senators of the new districts should work with the secretary health to find out durable solution of all the weaknesses and deficiencies.

Earlier the meeting was briefed about the existing facilities teachers and doctors in education and healthcare units.

Meanwhile, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Governor Shah Farman Monday said that people of merged districts would get all facilities like other developed cities of the country along with existing facilities.

The government is taking pragmatic steps for prosperity in tribal districts besides removing sense of deprivation among them. He expressed these views while talking to 100-member tribal jirga belonging to erstwhile FR Peshawar here at Governors House.

The tribal jirga informed the governor about their problems and also invited him to visit the area.

The governor said that tribal Jirga would be established at local level to monitor the developmental schemes in the area and this Jirga will remain in touch with local administration to solve the issues of the public.

He said local government elections would be held soon in newly merged areas and every FR region would have its own Nazim to address masses problems at their doorsteps.

He further said that funds for the development of the tribal areas would also be allocated in the provincial fiscal budget and ten-year developmental package by the federal government would bring revolution in merged areas.

At the end, the governor listened to the complaints of tribal Jirga and issued on spot directives.