SWABI: PTI activists on Monday staged a protest against what they alleged not linking the Swabi district to the new 132KV transmission line, which was inaugurated by PML-N leaders and Pesco chief executive at Tarbela grid station here the other day.

Led by MNA Aqibullah Khan, PTI workers marched to the Karnal Sher Khan Chowk, raising slogans against the PML-N central government for ‘deceiving’ the people of Swabi.

They pointed out that the PML-N leaders and Pesco officials told people at the inaugural ceremony of the transmission line that the new power line would help reduce unscheduled loadshedding and address low voltage problem in Swabi, but they claimed that the Swabi district had again been linked to Mardan grid station, which meant that the people would continue to suffer prolonged power outages.

WELFARE SCHEMES: The Sinohydro, a Chinese company working on the Tarbela Dam’s fourth extension project, has provided over Rs50 million for carrying out welfare activities in the district, Dawn has learnt.

Sources said the company had provided equipments to Wapda hospital where families of the employees of Tarbela Dam power house and Ghazi Barotha Dam get treatment.

The sources said the hospital badly needed modern equipments to cope with the increasing number of patients, adding the Chinese officials discussed the requirements with the hospital management and delivered the equipments, which included an ultrasound machine, anesthesia machine with ventilators, cardiac monitor, defibrillators, special chemistry analyser, infusion pumps, etc.

The sources said the company also refurbished the E-block building in the hospital, adding the Power China, a sub-company of Sinohydro, also refurbished and maintained the Tarbela Golf Course at Tarbela Sobra city.

In addition, the company also provided free books to a Wapda school for boys, besides providing furniture for its 180 students and staff.

LIGHT RAIN: The district received light rain on the night between Sunday and Monday, giving some respite to the people from the sizzling weather.

The rain was also accompanied by a thunderstorm, which uprooted trees and caused power suspension for about 12 hours in various areas.

Published in Dawn, May 24th, 2016