November 12, 2002	Tuesday	Ramazan 6, 1423

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HARIPUR, Nov, 11: The NWFP government has exempted the Khalabat Township from property tax for an indefinite period, this was announced by the Tehsil Nazim Iftikhar Ahmad Khan while speaking to the participants of the inaugural ceremony of water supply scheme in Khalabat Township here on Monday.

Mr Khan, the MPA elect from PF 51 Haripur 111, was the chief guest on the occasion. He told the audience that the KTS is a locality comprising Tarbela Dam victims and had since long been deprived of its rights. He said the district and Tehsil administrations had struggled jointly for getting the property tax exempted.

He said, the provincial government has principally agreed on waiving this tax recently levied by the department concerned.

He said that being responsible citizens the people must pay taxes but it was unjust in the case of Tarbela Dam affectees of Khalabat Township, who had since early 70s been running from pillar to post for alternative land and plots against which they happily abandoned their houses and fertile agriculture land in the larger national interest three decades back.

Mr Khan also informed the gathering that the government of the NWFP has also recommended a sum of Rs220 millions for payment to the Tarbela Dam affectees of KTS, who were yet to be compensated for their inundated houses and lands under the gigantic project of Tarbela Dam. He said that out of this amount a sum of Rs20m would be earmarked for the development of KTS.

Mr Khan said that the locality had been included in the sewerage plan of the district government and work on project would be initiated soon.

The JUP-N’s MPA elect from Khalabat Township Akhtar Nawaz Khan on the occasion said that the MMAs government in NWFP would bring about real socio-economic changes in the lives of its citizens ending their decades-old woes and miseries.

He said that since the alliance of religious parties knew the problems of the common man it would at all cost ensure delivering good as the people pinned hopes with the new government in the province.

Akhtar Nawaz said that, Akram Khan Durani the nominated CM would pay his first visit after assuming power in the province to the KTS for listening to the problems of Tarbela Dam victims.

He said either he elevated as minister or not he would honour his words and try to minimize the problems of his voters who elected him for the first time.