LAKKI MARWAT: Marwat Qaumi Jirga has demanded of the government to initiate work on setting up a cadet college and construction of Kurrum Tang dam.

The jirga met here at Malang Adda to discuss causes of delay in initiating work on the development projects, which have already been approved by the government.

MPA Haji Anwar Hayat Khan presided over the meeting that was also attended by Marwat Qaumi Jjirga head Haji Aslam Khan, former MNA Ghulamud Din, former MPA Naseer Mohammad Khan, former federal secretary Akhtar Munir, ANP district president Sadruddin, Maulana Samiullah Mujahid, Eng Ameer Nawaz, Malik Idrees, Haji Shah Sawar Khan and Advocate Fareedullah Khan.

Aslam Khan told the meeting delay in initiating work on the college and dam was causing unrest among the people of the area.

He asked the government to show seriousness in development of the neglected Lakki district.

“The district is lagging behind in the field of education. The establishment of cadet college will help to promote education and enable local students to get quality education at their doorsteps,” he said.

MPA Anwar Hayat said that farmers were faced with problems owing to non-availability of water in Marwat Canal.

“It causes huge losses to the farmers every year,” he said and asked the government to ensure flow of water in the canal.

Other participants of the meeting said that the college and dam projects were a matter of life and death for Marwat tribe. They said that they would not tolerate further delay in execution of the projects.

They said that elders of all clans of Marwat tribe were united and they would make concerted efforts for the development of area.

FUND: The provincial government earmarked over Rs2 billion for the project of raising Baran dam and rehabilitation of Marwat Canal to boost agriculture in Lakki Marwat and Bannu districts, said MPA Malik Noor Saleem Khan Marwat.

He said that the dam project would make functional canal irrigation system in Lakki district.

The lawmaker said that thousands of acres of land were arid and barren owing to lack of irrigation water.

“A huge population of the district is dependent upon agriculture and livestock,” he said. He said that the dam project and canal rehabilitation would bring a green revolution in the district.

Published in Dawn, November 26th, 2014