SWABI: Construction work on the office building of Razaar tehsil has been stopped for an indefinite period because the staffers of the Frontier Works Organisation (FWO) are staying in its different portions, officials in communication and works department and a project contractor told Dawn.

Razaar region, which remained a stronghold of Awami National Party in the past, is home town of senior provincial health minister Shahram Khan Tarakai.

Razaar was elevated to tehsil level in 2010 by then Khyber Pakhtunkhwa chief minister Ameer Haidar Hoti.

Rehmanullah, late MNA and arch-rival of Mr Shahram’s family, had played a key role in upgradation of Razaar to tehsil level and allocation of funds for its building by the ANP government.

The construction of tehsil building had commenced during ANP government and its leadership wanted its completion before end of their constitutional term, said sources.

However, sources said due to paucity of funds its construction was not completed and when Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf government assumed power after 2013 general elections construction work on the building was immediately stopped.

The sources said Mr Tarakai’s family did not want the Red Shirt leaders to claim credit for the project.

However, later the funds were released and the office building was scheduled to be completed in June 2016, said the sources, adding the estimated cost of the building was Rs170 million.

However, shifting of FWO staff in the under-construction building hampered the work.

“The project was already delayed for about a year and with the shifting of FWO staff there its construction would further be delayed,” said one of contractors on condition of anonymity.

He said the FWO staff was currently working on the Swat Motorway project, which the government wanted to complete on emergency basis.

Meanwhile, office building of Topi tehsil has been completed, but its inauguration is awaited.

Despite passage of over a decade, the Topi tehsil still has no proper functional building, and the people are eagerly waiting for inauguration of the new building having various departments.

The sources said the Topi tehsil building was completed at a cost of Rs275 million.

In February, PTI local leaders had announced that Chief Minister Pervez Khattak would inaugurate the building, but due to spate of terrorist attacks in the province his visit was postponed, and a new date was not yet announced.

Shiraz Khan, PML-N MPA, said delay in making the office building functional had caused problems for the people, especially those belonging to Gadoon Amazai. “The building should be immediately inaugurated,” he demanded.

Topi was upgraded to tehsil level by Muttahida Majlis-i-Ammal government.

Published in Dawn, March 25th, 2017