PESHAWAR - The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa cabinet in pursuance of 25th Constitutional Amendment Friday approved the establishment of 25 Tehsil Municipal Administrations (TMAs), one each at sub-divisional level in newly merged areas.
Minister for Local Government Shahram Khan Tarakai said that the upcoming local government elections would be held in the province but for the first time in newly merged areas likely in December this year.
He said the department has geared up its activities for the preparation of the upcoming local government elections, adding the process of delimitation for 702 village and neighbourhood councils has initially been completed amongst which 688 are village councils and 74 are neighbourhood councils.
He said the people of newly merged areas will be benefiting from municipal services like collection and disposal of solid waste, water and sanitation services, streetlights after the establishment of TMAs for the first time.
The cabinet decision would enable the tribal people of erstwhile FATA to represent themselves in decision making and governance.
The Local Government Department in the run up to the establishment of local governance in the merged districts is speedily working on different measures for empowering the people of the area.
The government is committed to bring tribal districts in mainstream by providing basic municipal services” he said adding, “Today’s cabinet decision is another milestone achieved towards a more developed nation as we promised.”
These TMAs will be established in Upper Kurram, Lower Kurram and Central Kurram in Kurram, Miran Shah, Mir Ali and Razmak in North Waziristan, Khar and Nawagai in Bajaur, Wana, Sarwakai and Ladda in South Waziristan, Jamrud, Landi Kotal and Bara in Khyber, Dara Adam Khel in Kohat, Upper Mohmand, Lower Mohmand and Baizai in Mohmand, Upper Orakzai
and Lower Orakzai in Orakzai, Jandola in Tank, Bettani in Lakki Marwat, Darazinda in Dera Ismail Khan, Wazir in Bannu and Hassan Khel in Peshawar.
It is pertinent to mention that the Local Government Elections and Rural Development Department Khyber Pakhtunkhwa has already notified working groups for the development of rules of business for tehsil local governments and village and neighborhood councils.