MANSEHRA, April 9: The residents of Malikpur and Malikpur Jaba villages in lower Pakhal, who don’t have water connections in their homes, have been served notices for recovery, through army, of Rs10,000 and more per household by the public health engineering department.

The water supply schemes of Malikpur supply water to only 20 per  cent influential people. The rest of the more than 6,000 population Malikpur and the adjoining Malikpur Jaba, living in about 800 houses, are deprived of potable water.

The villagers and Malikpur Union Council Councillor Mohammad Amjad Salar arranged a tour for newsmen to the area on Sunday.   The network of the pipelines in Malikpur covers only a few parts of the village where the Khans and influential people live.

The pipelines in other areas of the villages are in a dilapidated condition and they mostly pass through the drains and no connection given to the house of the poor people is working.

The villagers showed the notices served on them by the PHED for recovery through army of Rs10,000 and more despite the fact that neither the pipeline reaches their houses nor they have any water connection.

The people said water supply scheme in their village was constructed in 1990-91 at a cost of Rs10 million and irregularities   were committed in the project.

They alleged that Rs3.5 million allocated laying underground pipes was embezzled by the contractor in collusion with the PHED officials and the pipelines lay in the open and passed through the drains.

They also alleged that the contractor colluded with the officials and stole about 10,000 feet of pipe, which was sold to a private party.

They said an enquiry was constituted to probe into the matter, on the complaint of Councillor Salar, but despite the lapse of three months the findings of the enquiry had not been revealed.

They said that if there had been no embezzlement, the sources of water in the villages would had been sufficient for a population of 100,000.