Peshawar: A high-level World Bank delegation met with the district administration and village councils of Mohmand in Ghalanai for consultations on the new World Bank-funded Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Rural Investment and Institutional Support Project (KP RIISP).
The delegation was led by Robin Mearns, Practice Manager for South Asia Social Sustainability and Inclusion, who met with representatives of the district administration and members of the village councils representing the entire district.
The delegation met with village council members from different parts of the Mohmand district to understand the development priorities of the communities they represented. The meeting also provided the World Bank team with an opportunity to announce the rollout of the KP RIISP, which will be implemented at a total cost of USD 200 million over the next 6 years to increase access to resilient and reliable basic services for households living in the newly merged areas of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.
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The project comprises strengthening service delivery institutions at the district and tehsil levels, enhancing the quality of local service delivery, and building the capacity of the village councils to respond to the priority development needs of their communities. Welcoming the World Bank delegation, the district administration and village councils engaged in a development-led dialogue. The World Bank team pledged their continued support to address the development challenges of the Merged Areas.
Robin, in his discussions, also highlighted the importance of the village councils' role in responding to the development needs of local communities, including women, children, the physically challenged, and the elderly. "We are committed to working closely with the local communities, village councils, and district administrations to ensure that the KP RIISP brings tangible improvements to the lives of the people in Mohmand, Khyber, and all the other districts of the Merged Areas."
He also affirmed that the World Bank remained firmly committed to its mission of reducing poverty and promoting development across Pakistan in an inclusive and sustainable manner. The meeting with Mohmand district officials and the elected council marked a significant step forward in strengthening collaboration on development-related initiatives and addressing the specific development challenges faced in the Merged Areas.