UPPER DIR: Vehicles worth millions of rupees have been rusting away on the premises of various government departments in Upper Dir district for the last many years, causing a big loss to the public exchequer.

Sources said that majority of these vehicles needed minor repairs costing a few thousands rupees to be made reusable, but the officials concerned had turned a blind eye to the matter.

They said that at the same time the officers were demanding new vehicles, which could cost the government exchequer millions of rupees. They said that one bulldozer of the communication and works department was parked outside the Met office and the other in Dir stadium.

The sources said that four vehicles, including two double cabin pickups and two mini-trucks, were parked in the offices of education department and left to gather rust. They said that some vehicles parked in the office of district administration were also getting destroyed.

They claimed that the officials were keeping the provincial government in dark about these vehicles while ordering new ones for their use. They said that heads of the departments were keen to buy new vehicles with the government funds while ignoring repair of the old ones.

A government contractor said on condition of anonymity that they had been facing difficulties in building roads in different areas of Upper Dir due to unavailability of bulldozers with the C&W department. He said that sometimes they had to hire bulldozers from other districts or from private firms on high rates. He said that they had requested the C&W department several times to repair the bulldozers, but it was not showing any interest in the matter.

An official said that the C&W department had not repaired the bulldozers, which got destroyed over the years.

When contacted for comments on the issue, district nazim Sahibzada Fasihullah said that it was a very serious matter and he would issue directives to the heads of all departments to submit a report in this regard within a week. The Upper Dir deputy commissioner also said that the district administration would probe the issue and take action against officers found responsible for the negligence.

Published in Dawn, February 20th, 2016