SIALKOT, Jan 20: The adage dark under the lamp aptly explains the situation in villages of Bajwat — the hometown of National Assembly Speaker Chaudhry Ameer Husain — which lacks even the most basic facilities. People of the areas falling in the electoral constituency (NA-111 — Bajwat, Sialkot II) have expressed grave concern over the situation. Bajwat also falls in the constituency (PP-121 — Sialkot I) of Punjab Industries Minister Muhammad Ajmal Cheema.

Facing a great deal of difficulty, some people told newsmen during a survey of the constituency that several villages in Bajwat were a picture of backwardness and they had long been waiting for the provision of facilities the two political big guns had promised them time and again. Some other local politicians, too, had failed to take stock of the situation.

Almost all the main and link roads (in Bajwat) were broken up and their reconstruction or repairs had not been started during the last several years owing to reasons best known to the authorities concerned. “One cannot think of such a pathetic situation in the hometown of the NA speaker,” they said.

They said a main link road in Chaudhry Ameer Husain’s village Looni-Kheri had been constructed way back in 1990, but now it was in a dilapidated state. Dust caused by an uncontrolled traffic on the road had become a source of pollution, which was posing serious health hazards to the people.

Saying that Chaudhry Ameer Husain had been elected MNA for the fifth term from this constituency, the people regretted that they had been facing difficulties owing to absence of facilities for the last many years.

The people, led by councillors Muhammad Shafi, Ghulam Rasul Pappa, Sufi Ahmad Khan and others, also protested against inordinate delay in the construction of the bridge over river Tavi in Bajwat’s border areas.

The residents of these villages, they said, had been suffering on account of traffic mess frequently created on alternative routes. They said the pace of construction of the bridge was too slow and the project remained suspended for several months due mainly to alleged differences among the local politicians.

The construction of the 1,300-foot long and 30-foot wide bridge started about one and-a-half years ago at an estimated cost of Rs160 million for providing better communication facilities to the people of Bajwat’s 85 border-area villages. These villages remained cut off from the rest of the Sialkot district due to spate in Tavi caused by high floods during rainy seasons.

The federal government had announced provision of Rs100 grant as its share for this project while the Punjab government had pledged to give Rs60 million.

Hardly a month ago, Speaker Chaudhry Ameer Husain inspected the construction of the bridge and expressed concern over delay in the completion of the project. He directed the authorities concerned to speed up work.

The speaker had told journalists that a comprehensive plan for the early construction of link roads in Bajwat’s villages and paved main roads, besides protective bandh near Tavi had been drawn up.

He said the government was focusing on bringing the neglected areas on a par with the developed ones across the country. Several development schemes were briskly under way in Bajwat areas at a cost of Rs550 million. A sum of Rs10 million had been spent on providing Sui gas to Bajwat, Gondal and surrounding areas.

The officials concerned, however, presented the sunny side of the situation with the claim that the construction of the bridge over Tavi was being done on war footing and it would be operational by May this year.