PESHAWAR: International aid agencies have assured projects worth Rs26.35 billion in flood-affected districts of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.
The Planning and Development Department (P&D) said that though the international aid agencies have assured assistance to eight administrative departments, five departments didn’t receive positive response.
The KP government has also decided to transfer Rs19b from ongoing projects to flood-hit districts of the province to immediately restore damaged infrastructure. However, despite all these measures, the provincial government still faces a shortage of over Rs23.17 billion. According to the P&D Department, administrative departments had requested support from international aid agencies for the restoration of flood-affected areas and infrastructure. The largest assurance of Rs11.58 billion has been received by the Energy departments. Similarly, the agricultural department has secured assurance of Rs3 billion, Rs2.76bn by the irrigation department, Rs2.70 billion by elementary and Secondary Education Department, Rs2.31 billion by the Health Department and Rs2.31 billion by the Communication and Works Department while the Tourism and Sports Department has secured a pledge of Rs1.8 billion and Rs290 million respectively.
However, the Local Government Department, Urban and Rural Development, Department of Higher Education, the Finance Department, Department of Food and Multi-Sector Development have failed to secure any commitment of support from the foreign donor agencies.
On the other hand, the KP government decided to transfer Rs19.70 billion from various ongoing projects, of which Rs6.97 billion will be allocated for the construction of roads and Rs4 billion to health sector. The KP government needs a total of Rs69.23 billion for infrastructure maintenance, of which Rs26.35 billion have been assured by international aid agencies but the government still facing a shortfall of Rs23.17 billion.
