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Introduction
The defunct Communication and Works and Public Health Engineering Department
NWFP were merged to form a new Works and Services Department in 2001. W&SD plays
a significant role in the development of FATA as it provides services in
creating physical infrastructure related to building, roads, water supply and
sanitation sectors. As an executing agency, it carries out construction on
behalf of other line departments. It is headed by a Chief Engineer with his
representative head, Executive Engineers, in each agency. The major
responsibilities of the department are to carry out surveys, detail engineering
designs, costing, construction supervision, quality control and contract
administration. The department carries out market surveys to ascertain
construction rates, laboratory testing for standardization of material and
quality control, architectural designing and regulation governing contractors.
Apart from this, the department carries out annual operation, maintenance and
repair of physical stock.
Strengths and Opportunities in the Sector
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Increase in maintenance and
repair fund can avoid the negative effects of deferred maintenance and burden
of costly rehabilitation on annual development program.
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Road, bridge and drinking
water supply asset management using digitized mapping in FATA have a strong
link with better planning and optimization of resources.
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Improving capacity of the
Works & Service Department has a strong link with enhancing quality control
measures and portfolio management.
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The strength and
opportunities of the sector lie in the fact that with more focused attention
this sector will facilitate the access of the people to other service
facilities provided by other sectors, increase access to local and national
markets, thus resulting in greater economic activity in the area.
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Improvement and
development of the sector will also improve the law & order, and security
situation in FATA.
Development Strategies
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Maintenance and
rehabilitation of existing networks to take priority.
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Making far flung areas
accessible to the main centres of FATA and national cities. Priority should be
to maintain good links of agencies with provincial and the national highway
network.
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A strategic priority is to
link the centres of agencies with other agencies.
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To ensure greater border
control, a well maintained road and bridge network is needed.
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Introduce basic
pre-qualification framework to regulate the existing private sector
involvement and ensure better quality of works.
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Streamline the decision
making process in such a way that due regard is given to technical and
economic aspects rather than just political.
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Enhancing and rationalizing
the existing road maintenance criteria.
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To introduce
prequalification criteria for contractor selection.
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Assessing the current and
future needs for government housing and buildings in the agency and tehsil
headquarters.
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Providing residential and
non-residential accommodation for the government servants working in the
remote areas.
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Developing capacities of
the local people to take over government and project functions in the tribal
areas.
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Identifying feasible
locations for housings and buildings in agency and tehsil headquarters.
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Facilitating the locals
of FATA for an easy access to the government offices in connection with their
daily routines.
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