RAWALPINDI: A team of public representatives on Tuesday took up Rawalpindi and Chaklala cantonment boards’ water problems with MNA retired Capt Mohammad Safdar and demanded funds to overcome them.

MNAs Mohammed Safdar and Sheikh Aftab are looking after the affairs of the prime minister’s development package for MNAs.

The delegation, led by PML-N MNA Malik Abrar met Capt Safdar at the Punjab House Rawalpindi.

Chaklala Cantonment Board Vice President Raja Irfan, Rawalpindi Cantonment Board Vice president Malik Munir and CCB member Ch Khurram Saddique were also present on the occasion.

The delegation demanded that the federal government should release more than Rs300 million for the Khanpur Dam Water Supply Project Phase-III for cantonment areas as the project was stopped for want of cash.

According to sources, MNA Malik Abrar told Mr Safdar that the work on Khanpur Dam Water Supply Project Phase-III began in 2005 but the project could not be completed as yet because funding from the federal government remained slow.

He said as a result the cantonment areas were not getting their share of water from the dam and the people had to go for water tankers.

He said more than Rs500 million had been spent on the project since the start of the project 2005 and the estimated cost of the project was Rs700 million.

“Now the project should be completed,” he told Capt Safdar.

“Some officials and people wanted the government to abandon the project, though the Phase III of Khanpur Dam Water Supply scheme will end the shortage of water in two cantonment boards,” he said.

He said that after the completion of the project, the water could be stored in the underground and overhead water tanks for a month.

The delegation members told Capt Mohammad Safdar that they also wanted to discuss the problem with Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif.

The delegation also wanted to lodge complaints with the prime minister against the officials of cantonment boards who created problem for the residents and elected members.

Mr Safdar assured the delegation that the prime minister would soon call the public representatives and listen to their complaints as soon as possible.

However, he said that the funds for Khanpur dam water supply project would soon be released.

MNA Malik Abrar also pointed out the problem of unavailability of health facilities at Cantonment General Hospital.

Upon this, Capt Safdar assured that the government would soon release funds for the hospital.

Published in Dawn January 4th, 2017