KARAK: The district government has banned launch of fresh water supply schemes from the oil and gas royalty funds until the completion of over 180 schemes, which have been left halfway.

Sources in the district government told Dawn here on Friday that the local government had written to heads of the concerned departments to not launch any fresh water supply project from oil and gas royalty funds as a total of 186 water supply schemes had been left half-way.

They claimed that majority of the schemes comprised tube-wells, saying 141 schemes were in PK-41 and 45 in PK-40 constituency.

The sources maintained that the district government had directed the quarters concerned to first complete the incomplete projects on priority basis and then launch new schemes.

Meanwhile, the district government has taken notice of use of public funds to put the private tube-wells on solar power, and directed that no such funds would be provided to private water supply schemes.

It was learnt that the district government has asked the people to inform the concerned departments if private tube-wells were put on solar power using government funds.

The sources said the district government asked the people not to make frequent visits to the guesthouses of the elected representatives for completion of the incomplete projects as the district government would ensure that.

SIT-IN POSTPONED: The Rabita Committee, a rights body, has postponed its proposed sit-in against power and gas outages after the commissioner, Kohat, assured them of redressing their grievances, said Maulana Mirzaqeem, a member of the committee, while talking to reporters on Friday.

He said during a meeting with the commissioner, members of the rights body assured him that people of Karak would regularly pay power and gas bills if the companies ensured power and gas supply according to the schedule.

Mr Mirzaqeem rejected the allegations that the people of Karak didn’t pay utility bills, and said the commissioner was urged to legalise the illegal gas connections. He alleged that concerned officials were involved in taking bribes for making legal connections.

He said the commissioner was also urged to order the quarters concerned to expedite work on the grid stations of Sabirabad and Sirajbaba, adding Pesco’s superintendent engineer, who was present in the meeting, assured that work on both the grids would be expedited.

The rights activist claimed that the commissioner assured them that their concerns would be conveyed to the chief minister and chief secretary.

Published in Dawn, July 24th, 2016