Peshawar:A high-level World Bank delegation met with the district administration and village councils of Mohmand in Ghalanai for the consultations on the new WorldBank funded Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Rural Investment andInstitutional Support Project (KP RIISP). The delegation was led by RobinMearns, Practice Manager for South Asia Social Sustainability and Inclusion who met with the representatives of district administration and members of the village councils representing the whole district.
The delegation met with the village council members from different parts of Mohmand district to understand the development priorities of the communities they represented. The meeting also gave the World Bank team an opportunity to announce the rollout of the KP RIISP which will be implemented at a total cost of USD 200 million over the next 6 years to increase access to resilient and reliable basic services for households living in the newly merged areas of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.
The project comprises strengthening service delivery institutions at district and tehsil levels, enhancing the quality of local service delivery,and building the capacity of the village councils to respond to the priority development needs of their communities. Welcoming the World Bank delegation, the district administration and village councils engaged in a development-led dialogue. The World Bank team pledged their continued support to addressing the development challenges of the Merged Areas.
Robin in his discussions also highlighted the importance of the village council’s role in responding to the development needs of the local communities, including women, children, physically challenged, and the elderly.“We are committed to working closely with the local communities, village councils and district administrations to ensure that the KP RIISP brings tangible improvements to the lives of the people in Mohmand, Khyber, and all the other districts of the Merged Areas”.
He also affirmed that the World Bank remained firmly committed to its mission of reducing poverty and promoting development across Pakistan in an inclusive and sustainable manner. The meeting with Mohmand district officials and elected council marked a significant step forward in strengthening collaboration on development related initiatives and addressing the specific development challenges faced in the Merged Areas.
