MANSEHRA: The residents of urban union council No.1 have threatened to besiege offices of tehsil municipal administration if water supply to their houses is not restored forthwith.

The protesting residents of the area said that water supply to their houses was suspended for the last two weeks. “The municipal committee has become a hub of corruption. It has failed to deliver civic services,” Raja Ayaz, tehsil councillor-elect, told a protest meeting here on Tuesday.

He said that they would besiege TMA offices if water supply to the union council was not restored within the next 24 hours.

The residents of Mufti Abad, Dehri and adjoining areas assembled outside the TMA offices and demanded restoration of water supply. Mr Ayaz said that water supply to the city and adjoining areas was suspended for the last couple of weeks. He said that they held meetings with officers concerned in that connection but to no avail.

“Would you believe that owing to inability of TMA officers there is a Karbala-like situation in the city,” he said, adding that people were struggling to get water.

The councillor said that corruption was a big issue as funds meant for public welfare and civic schemes were embezzled. “We would not only besiege the offices of TMA but would also block Kashmir road in protest if the water supply is not restored immediately,” he said.

FOREST CUTTING: Anti-Corruption Establishment Director Ziaullah Toru has said that big fish and mafia involved in cutting of forests in Hazara and other parts of the province will be taken to task. “We are going to start a crackdown against timber smugglers and officials of forest department in Hazara and parts of province next week,” he told a press conference here on Tuesday.

He said that timber smuggling and illegal cutting of forest came down drastically in the province owing to effective action taken by the authorities. “The crackdown would be launched across the board and those involved in timber smuggling would be taken to task as we have to protect the green gold assets for our future generations,” the official said. Mr Toru said that an inquiry into alleged embezzlement of funds, meant for constriction of Saiful Muluk Lake Road, was underway and those found involved might be brought to justice.

The official said that anomalies in collection of toll tax in Mansehra would be probed.

Published in Dawn, August 5th, 2015

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