CHITRAL, May 12: A meeting of the chief engineer of the irrigation department with local people ended in pandemonium here on Wednesday night after a scuffle between a contractor and a JUI leader and MPA Maulana Jahangir. Those present at the meeting told Dawn that the chief engineer was hearing complaints of residents of Singoor village regarding misappropriation of funds in the construction of the Singoor water channel.

Irritated by remarks made by the Jamiat Ulema-i-Islam leader and district vice-president of the Muttahida Majlis-i-Amal, Haji Nadir Khan, about the department and its contractors, a contractor moved towards him in a threatening posture .

Maulana Jahangir intervened and slapped the contractor which led to chaos and an abrupt end to the meeting.

The chief engineer was on his visit to Chitral after assuming the charge of his office three days ago.

The work on the construction of the Singoor water channel was stopped six months ago when it was found that the level of tail of the channel is 60 feet higher than the point of the intake.

The residents of Singoor are demanding stern action against the engineers and contractors of the department for their inefficiency and corruption.