KHAR: The all Bajaur poultry farms association on Sunday expressed concern over non-payment of compensation for the poultry farms destroyed during the military operation in the region.

Speaking at a press conference here, the association’s president Malik Shahabuddin Khan said that around 90 poultry farms had been destroyed during the 2008 military operation against militants in the agency, but compensation had yet not been paid to the owners.

He said the former Khyber Pakhtunkhwa governor Shaukatullah Khan had announced payment of compensation to the owners of poultry farms in the tribal areas, but to no avail.

Mr Shahabuddin said that as per a survey conducted by Fata Disaster Management Authority and the local administration in 2012, 80 farms had been completely destroyed while 10 partially damaged.

He mentioned that FDMA had recommended payment of Rs400,000 for the destroyed units and Rs160,000 for partially damaged farms.

Mr Shahabuddin claimed that the FDMA had promised to start payment of compensation in June 2012, but regretted that no payment had so far been made to the poultry farm owners.

He said that Benazir Income Support Programme and Small and Medium Enterprises Development Authority had also failed to materialise their announcements of providing financial assistance to the ruined poultry farms, marble factories and other small business projects in the agency.

Mr Shahabuddin appealed to the international donor agencies for promotion of poultry farms in the agency as the tribal region was suitable for such businesses to ameliorate economic woes of tribesmen.

Published in Dawn, September 15th , 2014