Interior minister, Mohand Laenser, gave an overview before the sovereign of progress made in the second phase of the INDH since it was launched in June 2011 as well as the major actions conducted as part of the territorial upgrading program that involves 587 rural communes, of 22 provinces.
PMAT, which seeks to promote the living conditions of 3,300 hamlets in mountainous isolated and rugged regions will help reduce gaps in basic infrastructure, equipment and services. It will also help include the targeted populations in the development process started by the INDH, the minister said.
The program is managed according to good governance principles, based on participative approach and long-term planning, he added, stressing that under the program, up to 50 ambulances were purchased, 69 lodgings for doctors, nurses and midwives were built or are being built, while eight rural clinics are planned in the 2013-2015 period.
Regarding support to education, the interior minister went on that the number of accommodations for teachers during the 2011-2013 period reached 651 units out of 3.008 lodgings slated for the 2001-2015 period.
The minister also noted that 423 roads and tracks were built and 23 projects out of the 68 scheduled ones were launched, stressing that 2,432 hamlets were connected to the electricity grid between 2011 and 2013.
Meanwhile, some 252 water access facilities were made available or are in process.
The interior minister concluded that thanks to the personal supervision of HM the King, the territorial upgrading program has helped improve the living conditions of the targeted populations by consolidating basic health facilities, improving access to social infrastructure and services, fighting against school dropout, developing the electric network drinking water supply, in addition to breaking the isolation of populations in mountainous regions.
During the ceremony, an institutional documentary showing concrete accomplishments of the INDH’s territorial upgrading program was screened.
The ceremony took place in the presence of HM the King’s advisors, cabinet members, members of the diplomatic corps accredited in Rabat, elected officials, fund-donors and representatives of the civil society.