Senior Minister Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Mohammad Atif Khan has said that the provincial government has approved projects worth Rs 30 billion for initiation of development schemes tourism, culture, sports and youth affairs sectors in the merged districts.

He was addressing a function organized in connections with the economic empowerment of the youth of merged districts in a local hotel here on Tuesday.

The senior minister, who holds the portfolios of the tourism, sports, culture and youth affairs in KP cabinet those residents of the Swat, Chitral and Hazara who are renting their houses to tourists at local level, would be given a grant of Rs 1 million and loans. For this purpose, he said an amount of Rs500 million has also been allocated. He said that such persons would also be imparted formal training in hospitality sector.

Atif Khan said that the development of the merged districts is included in the top priorities of Prime Minister Imran Khan and various development schemes regarding the development of tribal districts are being introduced.