Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Minister for Local Government, Elections and Parliamentary Affairs, Akbar Ayub on Wednesday said that the KP government has completed preparations for the local body elections. The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) might announce the polls in the entire province including the merged districts by October 15 this year. This he said while addressing a tribal jirga during a one-day official visit to Orakzai District after inaugurating a newly constructed causeway on the river and nullah in Kasha area of Central Orakzai. The bridge has been completed by Sarhad Rural Support Program (SRSP) on behest of the provincial government at a cost of Rs. 44.3 million. The causeway facilitated 11 villages of 900 families of Kasha area to have access to the district highway in all weathers. MPA Syed Ghazan Jamal, Deputy Commissioner Orakzai, Muhammad Khalid, CEO SRSP, Masoodul Mulk and tribal leaders Maulana Ashraf and Maulana Hifzur Rehman also addressed the jirga. Speaking on the occasion, Akbar Ayub Khan assured a durable solution of the problems and presented demands in the welcome speech. He said that he was visiting Orakzai district on standby instructions of the PM Imran khan and CM Mahmood Khan. He said merger of erstwhile FATA into KP province was the historical achievement of the PTI-led government and hence,no one could dare to reverse the process of speedy development over there. The Minister acknowledged that merged districts were replete with the precious natural resources of forests, tourism, agriculture and mineral wealth and henceforth a new era of prosperity was being ushered by rapidly developing uplift schemes. He said Rs 84 billion were being spent on development of merged areas this year whereas the promise of providing 3% funds from NFC award would also be honored in letter and spirit. Akbar Ayub Khan said a number of welfare schemes worth billions of rupees were also executed in merged districts which included construction of Kasha Road, establishment of Cadet College in Orakzai by providing additional grant of Rs 50 million and extension of Community Development Program (CDLD) of Malakand. He also eulogized the role of SRSP for early and quality completion of developmental projects in merged districts.