June 05, 2008	Thursday	Jamadi-ul-Awwal 30, 1429

TIMERGARA, June 4: The NWFP government has directed for winding up the multi-million foreign-funded Dir Area Support Project before its completion, an official said.

The project funded by the International Fund for Agriculture Development was initiated in non-poppy cultivated areas of Lower and Upper Dir districts in 1999.

The official told Dawn here on Wednesday that the provincial government had issued a notification and directed the management to wind up the Rs930 million project by June 30. Sources said 104 employees of the project were likely to be relieved. Beneficiaries of the project have expressed their anguish over winding up the project.

Representatives of a number of organisations, led by Nisar Ahmad of the Zafarabad area in Timergara, told journalists that the project had enough funds for development schemes and staff salaries up to June 2009, but the government had decided to wind it up.

They said that at present the project had Rs27 million available for ongoing schemes and salaries of staff. They said millions of rupees development schemes were under-construction and under consideration. The fate of those schemes, they added, was now doubtful.

They pointed out that the previous MMA provincial government had not only extended its period for two years in 2006, but had also increased its share in the project at a time when there were no more funds.

They called upon provincial Chief Minister Ameer Haider Khan Hoti, Finance Minister Humayun Khan and authorities of the planning and development department to withdraw the order and extend the project for at least a year so that the ongoing schemes could be completed.

DEMONSTRATION: Dealers and salesmen of a private cellphone company, Mobilink, held a protest demonstration against what they called supply of fake scratch cards in the market in Timergara on Wednesday.

Shopkeepers and traders’ leaders also took part in the protest.

The protesters blocked the main road in the Timergara bazaar for some time where the speakers complained that fake scratch cards were being supplied in the market for a few weeks.

They said they had suffered losses of thousands of rupees because of the supply of fake scratch cards.

Later, Timergara Traders’ Association president Anwarud Din along with the phone company dealers held a press conference where they gave three days to the authorities to solve the problem, otherwise they would boycott the company sale in the district.

During the press conference, Anwarud Din contacted provincial director of Mobilink Amir Aman, who assured the protesting dealers to take notice of the matter and solve it.