KOHAT: The fate of the Rs40 million solid waste recycling plant hangs in balance over a tussle between the contractors, one of whom is alleged to have taken away costly items from the building.

Following the incident, tehsil municipal officer Amin Gul has filed FIR against the plant’s contractor, Javed Khattak, and requested the police to recover the stolen items from him.

SHO cantonment Fayyaz Khan told Dawn on Monday that investigations revealed after completion of the building of the recycling plant, the contractor Javed Khattak refused to pay his partner, Nek Mohammad some amount due to which the latter took away windows, doors, exhaust fans, air conditioners and other items from the building. Nek Mohammad is reported to have sold the air conditioners to the brother of Javed.

The SHO said Javed was wanted by the cantonment, Jungle Khel and KDA Town police in three fraud cases but even then he had been awarded contract.

Tussle between contractors seen as the reason

Similarly, he said it was a private dispute and the FIR should have been filed against Nek Mohammad for taking away things from the building. He added that officially the building had not been handed over to the tehsil municipal committee because it was incomplete.

Officials said civil works had been completed with a delay of one year at the cost of Rs40 million but so far tenders had not been floated for acquiring machinery. They said machinery would be installed at a cost of Rs100 million.

This will be the second recycling plant in the country once it is made operational.

The Kohat district produces about 100 tons of waste per day and if the waste produced by the cantonment area is added, it increases to 150 tons. “As of now, the city spends roughly Rs3,000 per ton to dispose of the waste, sanitation officer of Water Supply and Sanitation Company Kohat, Sohail Ahmed, said.

The plant would also produce urea and manufacture plastic products for daily use.

MUHARRAM SECURITY: The district administration has established special intelligence unit for ensuring peace on Ashura, but has also declared five imambargahs, 11 mosques and 44 places as most sensitive, which would be guarded jointly by FC, army and police personnel.

This was decided at a meeting chaired by DPO Sohail Khalid. He said approval had been obtained for keeping mobile phone service suspended on 9th and 10th of Muharram.

He said the district would remain completely sealed on 9th and 10th of Muharram and nobody would be allowed to enter or leave for three days.

He said 800 army personnel, eight platoons of FC and 2,500 policemen would ensure security on Ashura.

Also, deputy commissioner Khalid Ilyas has banned taking out mourning processions and holding gatherings other than on the designated places and routes without the permission of officials concerned.

According to a handout, any violation would be punishable under 188PPC.

Published in Dawn, September 18th, 2018