KOHAT: The social and political circles here have demanded resumption of work on Ahmad Faraz Park which was sanctioned by then governor Barrister Masud Kausar, brother of the late poet, in 2013 over 230 kanals on the University Road.

The construction of the park is still far from sight due to non-recovery of huge amount from the previous runaway contractor and unusual delay in hiring a new construction company for the purpose since 2014.

The initial grant of Rs6 million was sanctioned for it and the task was given to the tehsil municipal administration to complete it by 2014.

When contacted, TMA official Imtiaz Ahmed confirmed that the contractor had run away after receiving a hefty amount. He said that the project would need fresh funds, including the cost escalation, and work on it could only be started from scratch which would need a revised PC-1.

The project was approved in 2013 by then governor

He said that the contract had been given to the RCC company which was blacklisted and its two per cent down payment and eight per cent security confiscated.

Only incomplete administration block and security post could be constructed.

The material was so substandard that the site had again turned into a plain ground as the bricks of the boundary wall had been stolen and debris used in levelling of the ground.

The people here have appealed to law minister Imtiaz Shahid Qureshi to intervene and get the work on the park resumed.

Similarly, the IT Park inaugurated in 2015 at the Ghaffar Khan Library with a cost of Rs9 million had been washed away and all computers, furniture, etc had vanished.

This project was regarded so important that PTI chairman Imran Khan in a telephonic address on the occasion had congratulated MPA Ziaullah Bangash and the people of southern region of KP on its start.

Published in Dawn, November 3rd, 2017