KHAR: The officials of local administration here on Thursday said that merger of Fata with Khyber Pakhtunkhwa would enhance the role of Levies Force.

“I am sure that the merger will not only end sense of deprivation among Levies personnel, but would also boost their professional capability by getting modern weapons and others gadgets,” Assistant Commissioner Anwarul Haq told a function.

The function was held at Levies Lines in connection with the promotion of some officials of the force. The promotion ceremony was held after a gap of three years.

Mr Haq rejected the impression that merger of Fata with the province and extension of police system to the tribal district would reduce the role of Levies Force. “The merger will provide several facilities and rights to the personnel of Levies from which they had been deprived since along,” he said.

The official said that the administration had planned to enhance the professional capability of Levies men by providing modern weapons and training to them. He said that personnel of Bajaur Levies always performed their duty with sincerity.

Mr Haq said that Levies personnel would be able to entitled to ‘Shuhada Package’ after merger of Fata with the province.

More than 20 personnel of Levies were promoted as Subedar and Naib Subedar.

CONTRACTORS: The government contractors here on Thursday criticised the officials of local government and rural development department for not giving the security amount to them despite completion of the schemes.

Addressing a news conference, representatives of contractors Shah Mehmood, Ziarat Gul, Saifur Rahman and Pinda Mohammad said that they had deposited million of rupees with the department as security before initiating development schemes several years ago.

They said that they had completed all the schemes but the officials did repay them the amount. They blamed the officials for using delaying tactics in payment of the security amount. They urged the governor, caretaker chief minister, chief secretary and director of local government department to take notice of the issue.

Published in Dawn, August 10th, 2018