PESHAWAR: The Local Government Elections and Rural Development Department (LGE&RDD) and the Right To Information Commission, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa in a collaboration with GIZ, launched the Radio Shows Project “Yao Navey Safar” for the awareness of the local government system, Right to Information and COVID-19 for the people of the Merged Areas.

It is pertinent to mention that the ‘Radio Show project’ for the Merged Areas is a joint venture of the provincial government of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and the German Agency for International Cooperation (GIZ) in collaboration with Institute of Management Sciences Peshawar. These would be first ever ‘Radio Shows’ focusing exclusively the merged districts.

The launching ceremony was held in a private hotel at Peshawar, where the Secretary Local Government Elections and Rural Development Department, KP Shakeel Ahmad Mian, the Commissioner Right to Information Commission, KP Riaz Khan Daudzai and Managing Director Health Foundation, Health Department, KP Dr. Janbaz Afridi were the chief guests. Officers of the local government department, media workers, project staff along with people of different walks of life were also present at the occasion.

While addressing the gathering secretary local government Shakeel Ahmad Mian told that radio is an important and accessible media tool in the Merged Areas and in some districts is the only source of information and entertainment. “The overall aim of the intervention is to initiate the awareness about the local government system, Right to Information and COVID-19 for the people of Merged Areas”.

Mian furthered that to implement the Merged Areas reforms and to improve services provisions for the local population, GIZ has been implementing the FATA Development Programme (FDP) and is providing technical assistance to the Government of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa to improve local governance, sectoral governance (health and education) and constructive dialogue between citizens and the state in the merged districts.

He acknowledged that the Programme has been commissioned by the German’s Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ) and co-financed by the European Union. Mian also said that institute of management sciences is the implementing partner of the said project and staff from the locality has already been hired to address local in a perfect way.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2021