March 19, 2002	Tuesday	Muharram 4, 1423

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PESHAWAR, March 18: The director-general of the city municipal development department (CMDD), Malik Saad, has said the affected people of the Regi Lalma village will be paid all outstanding dues as per the Supreme Court decision.

Speaking at a Peshawar Press Club’s programme, Guest Hour, he assured the villagers that the land owners would be paid their amounts as soon as the CMDD received instalments from the employees’ associations.

The spadework was under way at the site, he said and hoped that the project would be completed on time.

Public resorts, including a zoo, would be constructed on priority basis, he said, adding that the CMDD had been left only with 9,000 plots in the Regi town, which would be distributed among the applicants by holding a draw.

Mr Saad said the CMDD was not a separate body. “It is a subordinate agency of the district government, which provides integrated municipal services to the newly-carved out four town councils. It will perform its duty as a coordinating body till the four town councils familiarize themselves with the new municipal system, explore financial resources and emerge as self-sufficient to launch development projects,” he added.

He described as wrong the impression that the CMDD was an illegal and a parallel unit, which was opposing the town councils. “It is a facilitating body, which manages water supply, cleanliness, fire brigade, street lights, bus terminals and fire brigade facilities.”

The CMDD, he said, was a creation of necessity and it provided integrated municipal services to the areas encompassing four town councils. The town councils owing to financial disparity could not do so on their own, he added.