CHITRAL: Development activities in Chitral have stalled for six months as absence of the district development advisory committee (DDAC) chairman has delayed release of funds.

An official of the finance department told Dawn on Tuesday that Rs50 million was released five months ago for the district but ironically, not a single penny of it had been used.

He said of the Rs50 million, Rs20 million was for each of the two local provincial assembly constituencies, PK-89 and PK-90, and Rs10 million for the local woman MPA nominated by PTI.

The official said Ghulam Mohammad MPA from PK-90 Chitral-II was notified as the DDAC chairman in June last year but his powers were suspended when the election tribunal accepted an election petition filed by runner-up Sardar Hussain of PPP against it.He said DDAC had not met and thus, delaying approval of development projects as identified by MPAs.

The official said the government had been awaiting the decision on the petition.

Meanwhile, Shah Murad Baig of PPP said the government was reluctant to replace the DDAC chairman simply as the other MPA from Chitral, Saleem Khan, belonged to PPP, while the woman MPA elected on special seat couldn’t be appointed as chairman.He said the current circumstances were adversely affecting the district’s development.

The PPP leader said the PTI-led government had been ignoring the district for eight months by delaying the appointment of the DDAC chairman.

Mr Baig said the people of Chitral would have to wait for another three months as the working season had expired due to the arrival of winter season during which most parts of the district remained covered by snow.

When contacted, MPA from Chitral Saleem Khan said the most affected sectors of development were roads, safe drinking water supply and electrification funded by the DDAC.

He said the link roads of many valleys were closed to traffic; many water supply schemes were inoperative, and electric supply to many distant villages were suspended due to delay in repairs of pipelines.

The MPA feared that development funds would lapse over non-utilisation and if that as six months eight months have already wasted and it will inflict a great loss on the people of Chitral.