The National Assembly was informed on Wednesday that the government has enhanced budget for merged districts comprising erstwhile FATA from fifty-eight billion to one hundred and sixty-two billion rupees.

Replying to a question during the Question Hour, Minister of State for SAFRON Shehryar Khan Afridi said sixty-two billion rupees have been allocated to the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government in lieu of “Recurrent and Development Budget”.

Shehryar Khan Afridi said Federal government has approved one point one billion rupees under Prime Minister National Health Program for poor families in erstwhile FATA. The Minister of State said Khyber Pakhtunkhwa has also earmarked eleven billion rupees for the merged districts. He said five years Income Tax and Sales Tax exemption has been granted to erstwhile tribal areas.

He informed the House after the merger now all financial matters of erstwhile tribal region are being catered for by the KP government.

(NNR/Imran)