Rehabilitation of 1009 flood-hit schools in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa: Norway to provide Rs 450 million aid

The Norway Government will provide Rs 450 million assistance for reconstruction and rehabilitation of 1009 flood affected schools in nine selected districts of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP). For this purpose, KP government has submitted PC-1 of Assistance for Repair/ Rehabilitation of Flood Affected Schools under Basic Education Improvement Programme (BEIP) Phase-II at a total cost of Rs 450 million to the Planning Commission of Pakistan to be sponsored by the Norway Government, it is learnt.
According to official sources in the provincial government, reconstruction and rehabilitation would be in girls' schools including Primary, Middle, High and Higher Secondary schools. The project would directly contribute to the objective of Medium Term Development Framework (MTDF).
The sources said that each tranche would be transferred to the assignment account upon signing of the programme agreement for bilateral financial co-operation between the government of Pakistan and the Royal Norwegian Government. Subsequent replenishments of the account will be subject to the satisfactory production of yearly Programme implementation reports supported by financial and physical evidence of the utilisation of funds duly verified by the Chairman of the Basic Education Improvement Program (BEIP) Phase-II Project Executive Committee.
The sources said that in order to facilitate the smooth and timely inflow of funds to the BEIP Phase-II, an Assignment Account for Norway has already been established in the name of the Programme Manager BEIP in the National Bank of Pakistan, main branch, Peshawar, to be read as Programme Director BEIP Phase-II. Funds to the Assignment Account will be transferred in accordance with the procedures for the Assignment Account notified vide Finance Division.
The sources said Programme funds will be subject to annual satisfactory audit by Director General Audit KP. Official sources said that as many as 246 fully and 763 partially destroyed schools out of a total of 1009 were damaged in KP Out of 246 completely damaged schools there are 59 girls and 187 boys schools; and out of a total of 763 partially damaged schools there are 244 girls and 519 boys schools.
Nine districts include Swat, Shangla, Charsadda, Swabi, Malakand, Dir Upper, Bunair, Nowshera and Kohat were damaged due to floods in 2010. Prior to the floods, there were 6735 Government Primary Schools functioning in their own building in these districts.
According to data available with Business Recorder, a total of 33 schools including 25 of boys and eight of girls (24-Primary, 6-middle, 2-high, 1-High-Secondary) were damaged in Swat while 43 schools including 29 of boys, and 14 of girls (36-Primary, 4-Middle, 2-High, 1- High-Secondary) were damaged in Shangla.
Similarly, a total of 37 schools in D I Khan, 102 in Kohistan and eight schools in Malakand were completely damaged due to recent floods. The Program is not included in the current five year plan of the federal government. The grant financial assistance will be targeted to specific areas in such a manner so as to (i) repair/rehabilitate the 122 government girls school (Primary, Middle, high and Higher Secondary) partially damaged due to recent floods; and (ii) Provide furniture and equipment for those schools where furniture and equipment were washed away due to floods.
Separate block provision for the Programme does not exist. However, the programme is designed to cover shortfalls in the medium term in existing development provisions of the government of KP; and donor agencies commit to extend assistance under the Education Sector Plan 2010-15 for the Elementary and Secondary Education Department and additional components/interventions or to address grey areas not covered so far under the existing development programmes. The sources said that the goal of the project is to improve access to quality education.