In the loan project received from the World Bank for the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Rural Investment Support Project, 2 billions rupees has been allocated for salaries and benefits.

By M.Ilyas
PESHAWAR – In the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Rural Investment and Institutional Support Project (RISSP), a project financed by the World Bank, the bureaucracy has allocated a huge amount of Rs 2 Billions.It has become indebted to the World Bank, Asian Development Bank and other financial institutions for 630 billion rupees, while agreements of another 970 billion have been signed.The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government has completed preparations to put more debt burden on the province which is suffering from financial crisis.The total cost of the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Rural Investment and Institutional Support Project is 110 billion rupees, but more than 80 billion rupees will be borrowed from the World Bank.While the rest will be given by the government of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.The World Bank has agreed to give a loan and all the matters have been settled.Crores of rupees have been reserved for the purchase of air-conditioners, microwave ovens and others. A memorandum of understanding has been signed between the government of KP and the World Bank.Under the said plan, offices and residences will be built for the administration in the tribal districts.A separate unit will be established in all these departments which will monitor the project.Alloted for luxurious offices and other purposes.In the project, the Department of Planning and Development has allocated 24 crore 10 lacs rupees for the staff including the construction of a project management and coordination office.The monthly salary of the project director has been fixed at 3 lacs rupees, in addition to vehicles, traveling allowances, POL.Rs 42 crores 40 lacs have been kept for seminars and other office supplies and equipments.In addition to the project director for the management and coordination office in the planning and development department, there are director technical, project coordinator, FM specialist, procurement specialist, sear monitoring and evaluation officer, project officer, Environment Officer, Gender and Inclusion Officer, Communication Officer and other staff will be recruited. Under P&D, a total of Rs 59.10 lacs has been set aside for the procurement of three vehicles of 2800 cc and above for the Project Management and Coordination Office, the implementation unit staff to be created for the P&D Department, Public Health Engineering, Irrigation and Agriculture.Where recruitment will be done for the posts of Procurement Specialist, FM Specialist, E&S Officer, Field Assistant in addition to Project Director. 68.20 million rupees have been allocated for the establishment of the unit in the Department of Local Government in the form of staff salaries and benefits. Apart from this, money has also been allocated for office equipment and devices. Where the project director, lead project engineer, executive engineer, Sub Divisional Engineer, Senior Capacity Development Officer, Senior MIS Officer, MIS Officer Database Officer, Database Developer, Senior Finance Officer, IT Specialist and other staff will be recruited.Some development projects have also been included under the Department of Local Government, Agriculture, C&W and Public Health Engineering for which funds will also be given to the said departments.