SWABI: The residents of Bada village in Gadoon Amazai have demanded payment for their land, acquired for the proposed Bada Dam, prior to inauguration of work on the project.

Chief Minister Pervez Khattak is scheduled to visit the district to inaugurate work on construction of dam project on Saturday.

The locals, led by Zaman Khan, Abdul Karim, Shah Mumtaz and Hajji Akbar, said that it was responsibility of the government to pay them price of the land, acquired for the dam project.

They said that government should take immediate steps to pay them the amount before inauguration of work on the project. They said that they would not accept any delay in it.

Urge govt to construct and repair roads in the area

They also demanded of the government to construct and repair roads in the mountainous belt. They said that government should supply gas to the area as early as possible. They demanded upgradation of schools in the area.

The local people threatened to stage protest if government failed to accept their demands before inauguration of work on the dam.

ULEMA: The religious scholars of Shahmansoor Madressah have rejected the honorarium offered to prayer leaders by the provincial government.

Led by Maulana Nural Hadi, they termed the honorarium ‘political corruption’. “We have decided that we would never extend our hand for getting the monthly stipend of government,” said Maulana Hadi.

He said that if government really wanted to honour the mosques then it should supply free electricity to mosques in the province. “Let the government announce this concession for the mosques,” he added.

Meanwhile, the PTI leaders in a gathering here on Sunday said that it was a big step of the government to provide honorarium to prayer leaders.

Rangaiz Khan, former district president of the ruling party, said that the previous governments had ignored the prayer leaders and failed to give them a respectable place in the society.

Mr Khan said that instead of criticism, the leaders of the political and religious parties should appreciate the government’s move.

Published in Dawn, January 22nd, 2018