KOHAT: The district development committee has asked the Communication and Works (C&W) Department to start repair of the dilapidated city roads within a fortnight for which funds have already been earmarked in the budget for fiscal year 2014-15.

Deputy commissioner Riaz Mehsud, who is the chairman of the committee, also expressed his anger at the slow pace of work on the development projects approved in the budget and blamed the heads of relevant departments for that.

District development advisory committee chairman MPA Ziaullah Bangash, who also attended the meeting, said that people had been criticising the elected representatives for delay in work on development projects whereas the PTI-led coalition government had already released funds for the projects. He regretted that the relevant departments had not even launched work on the projects approved last year.

The deputy commissioner also asked the relevant departments to submit to him the progress report about the ongoing projects within 20 days. He lamented the state of roads and streetlights in the KDA Township and directed the project director to solve the longstanding problems of the residents. He also called for preserving the heritage of Kohat district.

DC angry at slow work on development projects

Meanwhile, the people have criticised the contractor for putting stones on the police line road several months ago and leaving the repair work incomplete. They said that the dust from the incomplete road had been causing diseases among the commuters and residents in the area. They urged MPA Ziaullah to use his good offices to get the project completed as soon as possible.

HUGE POWER BILLS: The Pesco revenue office, Kohat, has sent huge bills of over Rs20 million and Rs150,000 to two tailors of Farooqui market in main bazaar Kohat for November.

Tailor Spin Jan received electricity bill of over Rs20 million and tailor Mohammad Amin Rs150,000, who showed their copies to local mediapersons. The office-bearers of the market association, including Abid Hussain, Shah Faisal, Said Agha and Madan Lal, told newsmen on Sunday that they were being harassed by the meter reader, who wanted them to increase the monthly ‘bhatta’.

They alleged that after four to five months the meter reader put the readings on his own without checking the meters. They said that loadshedding had already affected their business and they were being charged thousands of rupees every month for six hours power supply daily. They demanded immediate action against the meter reader by the Pesco authorities.

Published in Dawn, December 29th, 2014