PESHAWAR: The officials in Fata Secretariat Wednesday decided to increase the scholarships for the tribal students in the professional colleges of the country. The decision was taken at the seventh Fata Development Party (FDWP) meeting at the Fata Secretariat. Additional Chief Secretary Muhammad Azam Khan presided over the meeting. The participants of the meeting discussed over 100 schemes. Approval was accorded to all except few schemes. The FDWP gave a nod to enhance the scholarship for the 1,629 medical students from Fata studying in different medical collages of the country. The Rs 12,000 per year amount was raised to Rs 48,000 per year. The scholarships for 182 graduate and postgraduate students, studying in various agriculture institutions, were raised from Rs 24,000 to Rs48,000.The FDWP approved a scheme titled Health Nutrition Programme, Fata, amounting to Rs.49.584 million. It was for the provision of a superior quality food supplements to the 18,000 pregnant women all over the Fata to ensure better health to them. The health authorities pledged to ensure the provision of the food supplement “Ensure” to all the estimated 30,000 pregnant women in Fata. The ACS directed the health authorities in Fata to work out a comprehensive plan for providing health cover to 700,000 families residing in Fata under certain conditions. It would not only benefit the tribal folk but also go a long way in the eradication of polio from Fata and considerably increase the literacy rate in the region. According to the proposal every family in the Fata would be given health insurance that ensures dispensing of polio drops to the kids and send their children to schools. Approval was also accorded to the scheme Bridge Financing for Polio Vaccination Campaigns to make sure that every child in Fata is immunised against the crippling decease. The FDWP approved the ADP scheme for establishment of Fata Directorate of Information amounting to Rs 133.85 million. The strengthening and improvement of Peshawar –Torkham road, Khyber Agency, Fata Section 7 from 33 to 37 kilometer was also approved by the FDWP. The meeting approved the scheme for the provision of bio-gas plant to the tribal families heaving five or more cattle.
