TIMERGARA: Owners of the land acquired for Talash-Kalpani bypass road on Thursday ploughed the project land in protest against the government’s failure to release funds for both compensation and construction of the road.

The landowners from different areas of Talash held a demonstration and chanted slogans against the government and the communication and works department.

The protesters led by Mohammad Bilal and Niamatullah asked the landowners to till their lands as the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government seemed least interested to complete the project.

The project was first approved by the government in 2015 and Rs410 million were set aside for it. Due to change in design the project was again included in the development projects of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa which were approved by the Provincial Development Working Party on Oct 18 last year. The construction work on 10km Talash-Kalpani bypass road was started in July 2016.

Provincial finance minister Muzaffar Said inaugurated the project in 2015 and the landowners were promised that they would be properly compensated. The contractor levelled 5km long and 40 feet wide land, but the owners were not compensated so far.

The landowners complained that none of them had been compensated so far despite visiting the offices of deputy commissioner, C&W executive engineer and district nazim. They said they had no option other option, but to reoccupy their land and plough it.

NEW POLICE POSTS: Regional police officer, Malakand region, Akhtar Hayat Gandapur on Thursday inaugurated the newly-built police posts at Lajbok and Kadh during his visit to the district.

Speaking on the occasion, he said that it was the responsibility of police to protect lives and properties of people.

Meanwhile, a youth identified as Zahidullah was electrocuted at Kumbar Maidan here on Thursday. Residents said that the incident occurred when he accidentally touched a live wire while working in a cement block factory.

Published in Dawn, April 27th, 2018