Economic activities pick up steam in tribal districts

PESHAWAR: Economic activities have gained momentum in tribal districts as uplift projects are being launched in the hitherto neglected parts of the province.

As part of the economic development, uplift work is being undertaken by the Sarhad Rural Support Programme (SRSP) under the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) in the tribal district.

A cheque distribution ceremony was held at Noor Hussain Killay in Kurram district to execute a drinking water supply scheme that would benefit 576 persons. Asmatullah Wazir, additional deputy commissioner Kurram attended the function and distributed the cheques for the project that would cost Rs1.1 million.

The district planning officer and representatives of line departments and a large number of community members attended the meeting. The UNDP with its partner SRSP are working for the socio-economic uplift of the merged districts.

Development programmes for economic infrastructure development are being carried out in South Waziristan, North Waziristan, Kurram, Orakzai, and Khyber districts. With a financial portfolio of Rs496 million, the projects funded by UNDP and implemented by SRSP have an outreach of over 90,000 beneficiaries in the merged districts during the last two years.

Government of Japan-Funded “Stabilisation through Inclusive Livelihoods in the Tribal District Kurram of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa,” and USAID funded “Strengthening Justice Delivery System in the Merged Districts of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa” are the key initiatives of UNDP implemented by SRSP since 2018.

These projects aim at building and rehabilitating the economic infrastructure, creating business opportunities for upscaling existing and new enterprises, creating market-based employment opportunities for youth through skills training.

With the funding from USAID, under “FATA Economic Revitalisation Programme (FERP)”, about 60 markets were rehabilitated in North Waziristan and South Waziristan through the engagement of market committees and local labour. About 1,804 local skilled and unskilled labour were involved in the rehabilitation of these markets; 2,570 individuals received in-kinds support amongst which 1,028 were women; and 1,160 post-grant sessions were organized under the project in which the entrepreneurs and business owners were mentored by the subject matter specialists.

Moreover, 56 community infrastructure schemes will be completed in Kurram, which will be identified, prioritized and then implemented through the community organisations formed in the target areas of the project.

Also, 192 sessions were organised in merged districts through lawyers in which 8,255 community members were oriented on the concepts of rule of law and access to justice in context of the reforms incorporated in the merged districts.

An official said the interventions were focused on the provision of free legal aid to the local communities in the merged districts. “This is being done in collaboration with the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Bar Council.

“Cases emerging from merged districts were identified and with help of volunteering lawyers, cases of 17 individuals were filed and initiated at their relevant courts,” the official added. These initiatives, he said, were intended to contribute to the government’s 10-year uplift plan for the merged districts. Social mobilisation and community-based development model of implementation is being incorporated in the designs of the project to ensure the involvement of the rural communities.