In a significant development, a delegation comprising Tehsil chairmen and tribal elders from the merged districts met with Dr. Amir Abdullah, the caretaker minister of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa for Merged Districts affairs, industry, craft, and technical education. The meeting held on Friday at the minis-ter’s office focused on addressing the ongoing de-velopment initiatives, public issues, and fostering collaboration for their resolution.
The delegation included Tehsil Chairman Said Bad-shah from Bajaur, Tehsil Chairman South Waziristan Lower Maulana Saleh Wazir, Tehsil Chairman North Waziristan Ahmed Said, Tehsil Chairman Upper Kuram Ihsan Ullah, Tehsil Chairman South Waziristan Upper Taj Malook, and Tehsil Chairman Orakzai Moulana Tahir Orakzai.
During the discussion, the caretaker minister assured the delegation that efforts were underway to involve local public representatives in identifying new projects under the World Bank’s risk project in the merged districts. He highlighted the cancellation of the controversial committee, previously formed by the federal government for fund utilization in merged districts, responding to the provincial government’s demand.
Dr. Amir Abdullah conveyed that the funds allocated to these districts could now be effectively utilized by the province, with the inclusion of opinions from local elected representatives.
He acknowledged the financial constraints and Election Commission restrictions hindering the initiation of new projects but emphasized the commitment to releasing funds for ongoing projects in the merged districts.
The minister revealed that, despite challenges, funds had been secured to pay overdue salaries for Tehsil Municipal Administrations (TMAs) in the merged districts.
