DERA ISMAIL KH AN: Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Governor Faisal Karim Kundi on Wednesday said that the fight against terrorism remained government’s top priority, followed by efforts to restore peace and bring prosperity to KP.
Talking to elders after chairing a meeting, he said he had received briefings on law and order, security arrangements, administrative matters and uplift projects.
Clarifying the status of 12 districts declared as being under an emergency, Mr Kundi dismissed reports they were being made a separate province or merged with the former tribal areas as rumours.
He said the districts had been identified because of being terrorism victims and that 70pc of the Rs160 billion federal development package would be spent there.
He said the foundation of the Daanish School System was being laid in the region, while further development initiatives would also be introduced.
The governor said the provincial government was allocating Rs40 billion for Bannu, Malakand and D.I. Khan divisions to meet the requirements of police. He added around 17,000 posts in the police department were vacant.
About the Chashma Right Bank Canal breach, he said the authorities had been given a Nov-mid deadline to restore supply through the canal. He said water could not be released in phases because the canal embankment was still weak.
Premature release of water could cause a breach and destroy the work already completed, he added.
The governor said the farmers would have to wait another 15 to 20 days for the water supply to be restoredthroughaproperandsafe system.
He announced that tenders for Phase-I of the Chashma Lift Canal projeet would be opened on Nov 11 and 12, while the tendering process for Phase-IV would begin on Dec1.
Dera Division Commissioner Dawood Khan, the regional police officer, the deputy commissioner, the district police officer, assistant commissioners and heads of various government departments attended the meeting.