KOHAT: The development projects launched since 2015 have hit snags due to nonpayment of required funds requisitioned by the district government according to the PC-1 of the schemes made by the nazims and councillors, thanks to wrangling among the Pakistan Muslim League-N and Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf lawmakers, leading to litigation.

Former district finance officer Wahid ur Rehman Khattak, who retired a fortnight ago, disclosed to Dawn on Friday that out of demanded Rs270 million in 2015, then provincial finance department released only 50 per cent funds. In the next fiscal 16-17, Rs230 million were received, out of which, half were diverted to the schemes of the year 2015-16, he added.

Similarly, in 2017-18 again only 50 per cent of the funds were released, resulting in delaying the projects, he said, and regretted that the district council, district advisory and district development committees had approved all the projects and forwarded the claims to the provincial government for release of funds, but to no avail.

Mr Khattak said the holding back of funds had eroded the reputation of the councillors and nazims among their voters. He said most of the 2015 projects, which should have been completed in 2016, were still stagnant.

He said then MPA Amjid Afridi got a stay on the projects because at that time funds were being used by MNA Sheharyar Afridi. He added that three years funds amounting to Rs290 million were surrendered to the provincial government, and after 2018 elections, no new royalty funds had been released.

In 2013-14, Mr Khattak said Kohat received Rs630 million royalty funds, which were distributed among the three MPAs and one MNA. The development work from those funds was still underway, he added.

Meanwhile, district councillor Dr Matiullah Shah disclosed that the 50 per cent cut made in the funds meant for Kohat had been used in the Bus Rapid Transit project in Peshawar and electrification of Nowshera villages by former chief minister Pervez Khattak.

He said during the 2018 elections former MPA Amjid Afridi was distributing transformers, poles and wires among the people, but on the complaint of adviser to the chief minister Ziuallah Bangash and PTI district president Aftab Alam, who was contesting against Mr Afridi, the NAB had sealed the warehouse where the gadgets were lying.

He said the MNA and the MPAs were doing politics over the development projects and ultimate sufferers were the common people.

Published in Dawn, December 8th, 2018