CHITRAL: MPA from upper Chitral Sardar Hussain Shah has demanded of the government to release funds for rehabilitation of flood-hit segment of Chitral-Booni road at Kuragh and construction of a suspension bridge over its stream otherwise the Mastuj tehsil will be cut off from the district headquarters.

Talking to mediapersons in Chitral Press Club here on Friday, he claimed that Rs160 million, allocated by PDMA for the restoration of physical infrastructures affected by flash flood last year, was being withheld by the district government.

He said that of this amount Rs20 million was earmarked for restoration of road at Kuragh and Rs10 million for the construction of bridge in the same village, but work could not be started as the district government was reluctant to release the amount from the account maintained by it.

Mr Shah warned that work on the sites should be carried out without wasting time, as construction would not be possible afterwards with the rise of water level due to melting of glaciers.

He said that the blockage of the road for vehicular traffic and the pedestrians could give rise to the acute shortage of food items, life saving drugs and other commodities.

The MPA criticised the food department for its failure to store wheat in its warehouses situated in far-flung areas, including Terich, Laspur, Yarkhoon, Torkhow and Oveer.

Published in Dawn, May 14th, 2016