PESHAWAR - Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Secretary for Relief and Rehabilitation Department, Rashid Ahmad, said that owing to non-provision of funds from donor agencies, the Khyber Paktunkhwa government is yet to initiate a survey for assessment of actual losses of education institutions damaged by militancy in district Peshawar.
The United States Agency for International Development (USAID) has also made a pledge of $25 million for reconstruction and rehabilitation of militancy-affected educational institutions in district Peshawar.
He said this while briefing the media persons regarding performance of his department during last five years.
Ahmad further informed that the department has planned to install radar system in hilly area of Cherat, for early predication of cloud bursting and minimize damages from it. He added that a sum of Rs200 million was required for installation of this system.
Flanked by Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Minister for Information, Mian Iftikhar Hussain, Secretary Information, Azmat Hanif Orakzai and other relevant officials, Ahmad further informed that the scheme was also included in Public Sector Development Program (PSDP) by the federal government, but the Khyber Paktunkhwa government is looking for the release of funds to formally initiation of the project. “We had yet to receive the required funds from the federal government, to formally initiate work on the project”, said the secretary.
He, however, said that if the federal government does not provide the required funds, the KPK government would initiate the scheme by its own financial resources. Pertaining to expense of hosting internally displaced persons from tribal region, he said Khyber Paktunkhwa has so far claimed of Rs40 million on the head of payment of electricity utility bills. He, however, said they had not demanded disbursement of other expenses, including Rs20 million in payment of land rent, Rs10 million installation of electricity at IDPs camps, and Rs17 million, allocated for provision of fans, and water chillers.
About the completion of different schemes in Malakand Division, he said that the Provincial Disaster Management Authority- PaRSSA had so far completed more than 100 schools in Swat and other parts of Malakand Division, with the financial assistance of USAID and United Arab Emirate states. He informed that USAID and Saudi Arabia agency for Development had also made an additional commitment of $2.5 million for militancy-affected areas of Khyber Paktunkhwa province.
“A sum of Rs10.3 billion has distributed as cash grant among a total of 392,724 families affected by a four years back in Malakand Division, by the PDMA-PaRSSA, Ahmad informed.
Similarly, he said that Rs15.75 million has been given as compensation for the dead/injured during flash floods, while the authorities had given Rs1,144.487 million, Rs56.5 million,  Rs165.691 million to District Coordinator Offices, Line Departments, and Pakistan Army respectively for carrying out relief activities in floods situation in 2010.
According to Khyber Paktunkhwa Recostrcution programme, he informed that the USAID had assisted $85 million for the programme under which more than 122 schools have so far been reconstructed at cost of $25 million. Similarly, he said that a $12 million had been spent for the provision of health facilities in Malakand Division.
Ahmad said that a Kanju-Madyan road in Swat had been constructed with the assistance of $19.14 million, while Governance Tehsil Complex Kabal has been reconstructed at a cost of $2.5 million.
The PDMA-PaRRSA, he informed, had initiated a Housing Uniform Assistance Subsidy Project HUAP for militancy-affected people of Malakand division, with a total financial assistance of $65 million, assisted by USAID. He said that a Rs0.4 million and Rs160,000 have been distributed among the militancy-affected people fully and partial damages of their houses respectively.
He further informed that PDMA-PaRRSA, had completed peace and development projects funded by UNDP for which $2.2 million provided. Another Malakand Recovery Programme had been completed with financial assistance of GIZ at a total cost of 5.4 million euros, including infrastructure, (irrigation, agriculture, education, and small infrastructure. A sum of Rs2 billion had provided under the Chief Minister’s Package for reconstruction of Excelsior College, Sangota School, irrigation system, and provision of water supply schemes in Swat, Ahmad informed.
He said that the UAE Pakistan Assistance Programme had been initiated in collaboration with the Pak Army for which a total financial assistance of $60 million was provided, meant to development of various technical institutions, and medical facilities.
On the occasion, a five-year performance report of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Administration Department was also presented on the occasion.