Funds Reserved For Tribal Districts’ Development Being Used For Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Governor’s House

Funds Reserved For Tribal Districts’ Development Being Used For Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Governor’s House
Although FATA has been merged with Khyber Pakhtunkhwa as a result of which the Governor’s House practically lost the administrative power over the region, it continues eating up a big chunk of funds meant for development in the merged tribal districts, DAWN said in a report.

According to the newspaper, the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government has allocated millions of funds from the tribal districts’ annual development programme for the preservation and rehabilitation of the palatial Governor’s House and maintenance of birds and animals kept there.

In addition, funds have also been earmarked for the rehabilitation and preservation of the Governor’s Cottages in Razmak and Miranshah.

The budget documents for merged districts show that Rs13.55 million has been allocated for rehabilitation and preservation of lower ground floor of residential portion of the Governor’s House.

The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa governor, who served as agent to the president for the defunct Fata and its chief executive before the landmark 25th Amendment, still retains a network of cottages in every tribal district that serve as camp offices.

Therefore, Rs19.369 million has been earmarked for rehabilitation of Governor’s Cottage at Miranshah and Rs19.85 million for the similar structure in Razmak along with guestrooms and rehabilitation of additional deputy commissioner and tehsildar’s office and residences.

Significantly, the own budget of the Governor’s House for the year 2019-20 is Rs316.08 million that includes Rs2.2 million for entertainment and gifts. Budget of the Governor’s House was Rs643.96 million in 2018-19 that also included Rs331.17 million for the defunct Ehtesab Commission.

Despite having its own budget, the provincial government earmarked funds meant for development schemes in militancy-stricken tribal districts for the preservation of Governor’s House in Peshawar.

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