Alai in KP granted district status

BATTAGRAM: Chief Minister Mahmood Khan on Thursday announced district status for Alai tehsil and inaugurated a number of development projects, including newly-constructed mini-micro hydropower project.

The 500kw mini-micro hydropower project has been completed at a cost of Rs7 million, which would provide electricity to around 600 households, a number of schools, health units and mosques, etc.

Addressing a public gathering, the chief minister announced to give status of district to Alai tehsil and said that the previous rulers had ignored the far-off areas. He said the past rulers had availed huge loans to promote their own interests due to which the country was facing economic problems.

“During the last two tenures, foreign loans worth billions of rupees were borrowed which went into the pockets of the rulers instead of being spent on public welfare,” he added. The previous rulers had looted the public exchequer and made properties abroad, he said, adding that the incumbent government was repaying installments of those external debts.

He hoped that Prime Minister Imran Khan would steer the country out of the prevailing crisis. “The PTI government under the sincere leadership of Imran Khan will leave a better and stronger Pakistan for the coming generations,” he added.

The chief minister said that the government was taking every possible step to give maximum relief to the people. “Several programmes have been launched to give relief to the general public and to reduce their problems,” he said, adding, the Sehat Card-Plus and Kisan Credit Card Scheme were of vital importance in this regard.

Similarly, he said that work on Education Cards was also in progress to extend financial assistance to the talented students belonging to the middle class. Besides, the federal government would shortly launch the Naya Pakistan Card to provide relief to the people, the chief minister said. Mahmood Khan said that registration was underway to give subsidies on food items to deserving households under Ehsaas programme, adding that the provincial government would contribute Rs13 billion for the purpose.

He added that the provincial government was providing new furniture to the schools at a cost of Rs6 billion to facilitate the students. He announced that provision of monthly stipend to Khateebs would be launched shortly whereas a scholarship programme for the students of seminaries has already been launched.