A small irrigation dam will be constructed at a cost of Rs 198.183 million with a completion period of two years in Khar, Bajuar Agency. The project’s initial feasibility was developed by Fata Development Authority, which is going to formally execute the agreement of a private-contractor firm, said General Manager, Planning and Development, FDA Syed Zukriya Ali Shah, while briefing media persons about the economic initiative in the tribal region here on Wednesday.
He said that the small-irrigation dam “Raghagan” will be built in Khar, area of Bajuar agency at an estimated cost of Rs 198.183 million, which would be completed by end of December 2014. He further said that the dam’s total water-storage capacity could be around 2,405 million feet, with it’s main purpose to irrigate nearly 3,500 acres agriculture lands in the agency.
On the occasion, the FDA Chief Executive, Shah Sahib, General Manager Technical, FDA Nasim Golara, Manager Planning, Ghaus-ur-Rehman, Public Relation Officer, Owais Ahmad Sufi, and other officials were present. The dam, he explained, would have both economic, social and development impacts, which could also create jobs opportunity for more than 17 locals under the project. He said that the project feasibility report was approved seven months ago after following all the pre-requisite bidding procedures and other technical methods. The total projects of small-dams initiated by the FDA would irrigate around 8,900 acres lands in different tribal agencies and Frontier Regions, he informed.
After completion of project in stipulated period, he claimed the agriculture revolution would come in the Khar, Bajaur agency, and also bring economic prosperity and development the area. “Today, we had signed an agreement with a private-contractor firm to formal execute construction work on the project, Shah informed.
Later, giving a detail presentation regarding the last six years economic initiatives of the FDA, Zukriya Shah said that the authority had so far completed two small-irrigation dam, while the construction of other six-small irrigation dams was in progress in different tribal agencies. “We had developed more than 40 feasibility studies for various economic, social and development project”, which was mostly implemented, Shah said.
He said the authority had received only Rs 3.9billion during last six years, against the estimated funds of Rs 6 billion, despite that they had played vital role for execution of several schemes in their ambit and workout plan economic and social development of tribal areas. Of the total, budgetary allocation of Fata, he further informed the FDA only provided Rs 1.5 billion in current fiscal year, which is nearly 10 per cent of the budget for the Fata.
Regarding the future planning and schemes, Shah informed that more than 15 new small irrigation dams would be constructed during next five years. While, the authority has so far completed feasibility nearly 21 feasibility studies for construction of small dams in different tribal agencies and Frontier regions.
He explained they had initiated different social, skill development schemes and women business entrepreneurship projects on basis of public-private partnership with various organisations in tribal region. “A number of schemes had been initiated in mineral and mines sector, and training program was also conducted for safety and protection of mine workers”, Shah added.
About the industrial development plan, he said the strategy was evolved to establish marble city in Mohmand agency, for the purpose a piece of land already acquired, and construction work also initiated on the project.
Similarly, he said that a piece of land measuring 10 kanals acquired for establishment of Tribal Chamber of Commerce and Industry (TCCI) in Jamrud, Khybe Agency. The authority, he said had ratified more than 24 villages under Phase-I (A) for provision of solar energy system. In the second phase, he added, around 22 villages have rectified. We have also designed a plan for provision of solar cooker and geysers in different tribal agencies, Shah added.
In mines and mineral, he informed the schemes had been initiated for exploration of precious stones, and drilling of core copper, while special training program for tribal youth launched with support various organisations for skill development in different sectors. Around 11,500 tribal youth, including male and female, had so far trained in 42 FDA established skilled development centres.
For the entrepreneurship training program, the FDA had selected more than 5,600 out of which around 600 so far trained, and initiated their businesses at own level. The authority, he said also planned to establish small industrial estates for arms manufacturers at Dara Adam Khel, FR Kohat. The feasibility study was so far awarded to a private firm (Bridge Way), which would complete work on the feasibility with next six months, he informed.
