September 22, 2003	Monday	Rajab 24, 1424

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HARIPUR, Sept 21: District Nazim Dr Raja Amer Zaman stressed the need for taking measures aimed at poverty alleviation and putting the district on the road to sustainable development through exploitation of natural resources and revival of sick industries.

Talking to newsmen here on Saturday, the district Nazim said the non-availability of share from the hydel net profit of Tarbela Dam project, presence of over 200,000 Afghan refugees in Haripur and inadequate business development facilities were some major obstacles in the way of socio-economic uplift of district.

He said for poverty alleviation the government was trying to generate income by exploiting the available resources.

He said the district government had embarked on a comprehensive public awareness strategy of providing better health and education facilities, particularly in the remote areas of the district.

The district Nazim identified the lack of irrigation and drinking water and technical education facilities and poor condition of roads as the three major problems faced by local population.

He said the development of tourism infrastructure in the district and construction of a new irrigation channel for Beer area from Tarbela Lake was also on the future plans of the district government.

Dr Zaman criticized the federal authorities for supplying water to Rawalpindi and Islamabad from Khanpur Dam by curtailing the irrigation water share of the local farmers.

He lamented that the farmers of the area were being provided water from Khanpur Dam much less than their fixed share which was, according to him, a violation of the article 161(b) of 1973 Constitution and Riwaj-i-Aabpashi rules of 1906.