MANSEHRA: The district reconstruction unit, a sub-body of Provincial Earthquake Rehabilitation and Reconstruction Authority of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, has served occupants of New Balakot City with final notices to vacate the land and houses at the site of the project.

The notices have been issued by Mohammad Jaffar, the programme manger of district reconstruction unit, on the order of director general of Provincial Earthquake Rehabilitation and Reconstruction Authority (Perra), asking the occupants to vacate the land before February 28 otherwise law enforcement agencies would take possession of the land through force.

The standing committee of provincial assembly on rehabilitation and settlement had taken notice of delay in completion of New Balakot City project. The housing project is being executed for settlement of survivors of red zone Balakot. The committee members asked divisional administration in Hazara last month to get the land vacated without further delay.

The notice, a copy of which is available with this correspondent, has been served on almost 300 occupants. The copies of the notice have also been dispatched to commissioner of Hazara and deputy commissioner of Mansehra to intimate them regarding the current situation.

“You are serviced with this notice last time to vacate the land/house, which is illegally occupied by you even after receiving money. On failing you to vacate it, legal proceedings would be initiated against you and land/house would be get vacated through law enforcement agencies,” says the notice.

Work on New Balakot City was suspended in 2010 following a local was killed.

Rustam Khan, the tehsil nazim of Balakot, expressed his satisfaction over the progress being made by government in removing hurdles in completion of the project.

KILLED: A man was killed and four others were injured in a road accident in Attershiaha area on Thursday.

Mohammad Shafique was killed and four others including Mohammad Zubair, Mohammad Sadiq, Mohammad Zakir and Hazrat Khan sustained injures when two cars collided in Attershiaha area.

Meanwhile, a boy was killed in a mine blast in Pulrah area. He was killed after being hit by rocks scattered in the air following explosion in a mine in Saribandi village of Pulrah on Thursday.

The workers had planted explosives at a mine to excavate granite but the rocks which had scattered all around hit Mohammad Naqash. He was rushed to nearby hospital where doctors pronounced him dead.

Published in Dawn, February 24th, 2017