KARAK, Jan 1: Armed villagers on Tuesday forcibly stopped work on the construction of a dam in Bahadarkhel area and held a rally to protest against changes in the PC-I of the project.

A large number of elders of Ghol Banda and Bahaderkhel led by former naib nazim of Bahaderkhel union council Amanullah gathered at the local bus stop and held a protest demonstration there. On the occasion, the protesters claimed the changed PC-1 of the Ghol dam being built in Ghol area at a cost of Rs5.4 million envisaged reduction in the length of the canals from the dam, leaving large swathes of land without irrigation water.

The protesters claimed in the original PC-I more than 3,000 kanals of land was to be irrigated. “We have made it clear to the contractor that any change in the already approved PC-1 will not be acceptable to them,” said the protesters.

They added provincial Minister for Prisons Mian Nisar Gul was the contractor of the dam, who they alleged, wanted to reduce the length of the canals to victimise the people of the area.—Correspondent