Merged areas termed 'local areas' to facilitate LG polls.

PESHAWAR -- The provincial government on Tuesday decided to grant 49 tehsils of the newly-merged tribal districts (NMTDs) and the settled areas the status of local areas for holding local government elections there.

This was decided during a meeting of the Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa (K-P) Cabinet which met at the Chief Minister's Secretariat on Tuesday.

'The government is sincere in taking practical steps to fulfil its constitutional responsibilities for the timely conduct of local bodies elections throughout the province, including the newly-merged tribal districts,' stated CM Mahmood Khan as he chaired the cabinet meeting. He further directed all departments to prepare rules for the enactment of rules within a month.

As proceedings began on Tuesday, the cabinet noted that under Sections 4 and 5 of the K-P Local Government Act 2013, it was imperative that the new tehsils set up by the Board of Revenue under the law as part of the delimitation process, are formally granted the status of local areas because the upcoming local body elections will be conducted at the tehsil and subdivision level.

The provincial cabinet also agreed to fix the ratio of representation in the tehsil council for women, youth, farmers and minorities at 33 per cent and the rest at five per cent respectively.

The cabinet also reviewed the Sustainable Development Strategy for the province for the next four years from 2019-23. Prepared by the K-P Planning and Development Department, it presents a road map for the development of the province, reconciling reforms and redefining the direction for K-P's socio-economic development.

The provincial cabinet also approved the Tribal Electric Supply Company (TESCO) 10-year Tribal Decade Strategy, giving responsibilities and resources to the energy and power department for onward developmental activities.

The cabinet also approved the K-P Whistle-blower Protection and Vigilance Commission Rules 2019. As part of the rules, a search and scrutiny committee -headed by the chief secretary and including members such as the Additional chief secretary, secretaries of law and establishment divisions and a member of provincial assembly - will recruit the commission's chairman and commissioners.

An exemption for the Communications and Works Department for continuing and accelerating work on a 59-kilometre-long road widening project in Swat was approved.

The cabinet also approved a motion to change the name of the Katlang Interchange on the Swat...