SHANGLA: The 72MW Khan Khwar Hydropower Project has remained closed for the last seven months owing to what the officials claim a major overhauling and some technical faults.

Sources said costly machinery of the power house developed faults some seven months ago, which was yet to be repaired. The Wapda officials held Chinese company ‘Dang Pang’ responsible for installing defective machinery in the project. However, sources quoting officials of the Chinese company said they had handed over the project to Wapda and were no more liable to pay for repair or exchange of the machinery.

The power project located near Bisham was completed in 2012 at a cost of Rs107 million.

The sources said it would take four more months to restore the electricity production at the power house, adding a huge cost would incur on replacing the faulty machinery. They maintained that

4MW unit of the project had been closed for last two years due to a fault in its main cable.

Residents of Bisham said after closure of the power project, the duration of loadshedding had increased in the area despite the fact the government was yet to provide electricity to the local population from the power project. The people of Shangla have held several protest meetings in various towns of the district demanding connection from the local power station, but to no avail.

Asghar Hussain, chief engineer at the power station, confirmed its closure, but said he wasn’t authorised to speak to media when asked to explain reason for its closure.

SCHOOL OWNERS BOOKED: In the aftermath of the militant attack on Bacha Khan University in Charsadda the local administration registered cases against 56 school heads for not meeting the government demands to enhance security.

District police officer Rahatullah told media persons that the action was taken on the directives of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa police chief, saying cases were registered against heads of 56 educational institutions for poor security.

The DPO said a meeting was arranged with officials of education department a few days ago, where it was decided to set up a three-member committee to monitor security of schools and colleges, and also appoint security guards, install CCTV cameras and barbed wire on boundary walls and gates. He said the police took action after the committee reported that the concerned schools were not complying with the official directives.

DC POST VACANT: Local residents have demanded posting of deputy commissioner to Shangla as the post has not been filled for last two months when deputy commissioner Saadat Hassan went to Australia for study.

They said local affairs could not be carried out properly in the obscene of the district administrator.

Published in Dawn, February 6th, 2016