KOHAT: Khyber Pakhtunkhwa secretary Local Government and Rural Development DepartmentJamaluddin Shah on Thursday launched a cell meant for the public to lodge their complaints concerning cleanliness and water supply in Kohat city.

He visited the offices of Water and Sanitation Services Company (WSSC), Kohat, and also inaugurated a tubewell. He was briefed about activities of the company by chief executive officer Arif Rauf and operation manager Naeem Ahmed.

Mr Shah appreciated the efforts of WSSC for keeping the city clean. He distributed certificates and cash prizes among the staff members for their best performance during 2017. Chief sanitary inspector Mohammad Sohail was awarded as the best employee of the year and two other employees given motorcycles for better recovery of water bills.

Local govt secretary visits WSSC Kohat

Speaking on the occasion the secretary said that despite limited resources the WSSC had performed well.

At a meeting with the officials of Kohat Development Authority, the WSSC CEO said that it was their duty to arrange pipes for water supply.

The officials said that WSSC charged money from them for keeping cleanliness and water supply. They regretted that despite several reminders WSSC staff failed to lift garbage gathered in almost every sector.

Markzai bazaar action committee president Abid Khan told this scribe that the complaint cell already existed in WSSC, but it did not respond to complains of the people. The front and back sides of Jinnah Plaza, Miankhel Bazaar and the main bazaar had become stinking places.

PROTEST: The district council members staged a protest against incomplete annual development programmes for fiscal years 2015-16, 2016-17 and 2017-18 and criticized the local government for taking approval for the 2018-19 budget.

The protest was led by district nazim Naseem Afridi and members of treasury and opposition benches who blocked the city’s main road on Thursday. The budget session started under convenership of Abdur Rasheed.

The opposition leader Al-Hamid presented a motion against the 2018-19 budget and demanded that work should be completed on the past ADPs first. He announced boycott of the session after which the members staged a protest.

Meanwhile, Hangu district food controller Salahuddin banned sale of slaughtered, packed chicken as pre-emptive measure against sick and dead meat. He held a meeting with the poultry association in his office and asked the poultry traders to sell live chicken at rates fixed by the government.

Published in Dawn, August 10th, 2018