October 01, 2008	Wednesday	Shawwal 1, 1429

CHITRAL, Sept 30: The local people have complained that the government had leased out mineral resources to non-locals on nominal rates.

Talking to Dawn here on Tuesday, they said that the Sarhad Development Authority (SDA) high-ups had done nothing to exploit the mineral resources which had the potential to provide employment to thousands of people and make the country prosperous.

They alleged that the minerals in various mountains, meadows, riverbeds and streams were given on lease by the SDA allegedly not in a transparent way and the terms of reference of the lease deed was not implemented. They said that there were scores of leaseholders who had yet to start work on the sites to dig out the minerals despite the lapse of years.

Syed Muzaffar Ali Shah, district president ANP, said that most of the leaseholders waited for a chance to sublet the lease to another party and earn hefty amount of money. He said that in some instances, the lease of a certain site had been further sublet for the third or fourth time.

He said that during the days of the former princely state, Chitral, forests, pastures and riverbeds beds were generally public properties and every one had got equal opportunity to utilise them for their benefit. Expressing regret, he said that the government leased out certain riverbeds beds along the Chitral river without the consent of the local population.

The ANP apprehended disastrous effects of it on the local people who largely depended on the natural resources as non-local leaseholder would completely dislodge them.