Mega Sports Projects In Merged Areas Help Bringing Tribal Youth To Mainstream: Pir Abdullah Shah

PESHAWAR, (APP - UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 24th Sep, 2021 ) :Director Sports Merged Areas Pir Abdullah Shah on Friday said that development of sports infrastructure in the merged tribal areas help bringing tribal youth to national and international events.

He told APP in an exclusive chat here on Friday soon after ending his week-long visits to different areas to review the ongoing construction workPir Abdullah Shah said that on the directives of the Chief Minister Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Mahmood Khan they visited Sub-Division Bannu (Ex-FR Bannu), Sub-Division Betani (FR Lakki Marwat), Drainda (Lakki Marwat), Wana (North Waziristan) to inspect the ongoing.

He said they inspected Sports Ground in Shadikhel Sports Complex Sub-division Betni Lakki, Mistikhel Sub Division Betni and Wana, North Waziristan. He said the aim and objective of the visits was to ensure completion of all projects in time.

He said, KP government had a comprehensive plan to prepare a project for construction of three sports complexes in merged tribal districts with an estimated cost of Rs 837 million. He said, the Wana's Sports Complex would be constructed with an estimated cost of Rs. 177.59 million whereas Kalaya Sports Complex would cost Rs. 359.98 million and Jamrud Complex would be built with an estimated cost of Rs. 300 million.

Pir Abdullah Shah said Rs7.5 billion allocated for the development of sports infrastructure in the merged tribal districts with Rs5 billion new sports facilities, and Rs2.2 billion for up-gradation and over Rs 0.2 billion for rehabilitation of existing facilities.

The small sports grounds would be upgraded and converted into sports complexes to provide better sports facilities to tribal youth. He said the govt is giving top priority to complete all the ongoing mega projects of developing sports as desired by the Chief Minister KP to ensure due facilities to the tribal youth of merged tribal areas so that they should come up at national and international levels.

Pir Abdullah Shah was accompanied by AD Development, Sports Officers Ashfaq Marwat Bannu, Lakki Drazinda, District Sports Officer Noor Ullah Wazir (Wana) and District Administration Officers.

He said in the current fiscal year-2021-22, the government has approved Rs 7.5 billion record projects to build, upgrade and rehabilitate sports facilities in the merged tribal districts.

He said, it was a record allocation for the development of sports infrastructure in the merged tribal areas besides allocating Rs. 700 million for holding sports activities and soon such Games would be organized in order to involve the tribal youth.

He said the government had approved projects to set up playgrounds and indoor gymnasium and upgrade and rehabilitate sports facilities in all seven districts, including Bajaur, Mohmand, Khyber, Orakzai, Khurram, North Waziristan and South Waziristan, and six sub-division, including Peshawar, Kohat, Bannu, Lakki Marwat, Tank and Dera Ismail Khan.

He said so far work on the approved projects continued in different tribal districts including 11 in Khyber district, 12 in Lakki Marwat, four in Mohmand district, one in South Waziristan, 08 in Tank and 10 each in Orakzai, Khurram, North Waziristan and Bajaur.

Pir Abdullah Shah said the provincial government approved 515 mega projects worth Rs59 billion to bring merged tribal areas at par with other developed areas of the province in different sectors. He said the govt initiated mega projects in the light of the vision of Prime Minister Imran Khan wherein Rs3000 million have been allocated for developing sports infrastructure at Union Council (UCs) level across the province including the merged tribal area. The PC-1 has already been approved for this and soon work would be started on the establishment of playground facilities at UCs level.

He said, 90 percent work has been completed over 151 sports facilities at UC level and many of them have already handed over to the Directorate General Sports KP for playing purposes which is costing Rs1,178.97 million.

The grounds built under the PM's vision would have climbing walls for kids, cricket academies, badminton halls, synthetic tennis courts, synthetic walking tracks, hockey turfs, basketball and volleyball courts, besides martial arts areas to promote sports culture, Pir Abdullah Shah said.

About last year, he said, the number of approved sports schemes were 96, while 108 projects for all 35 districts, including merged tribal ones, were approved this year. So far 64 out of 100 Open-Air-Gyms had been installed across the province including merged tribal areas to attract general-public to do exercise during their routine activities for better health, he added.