KOHAT: The assistant director of small industrial estate, Kohat, has said the government has approved Rs86 million for construction of a boundary wall around the estate spreading over an area of 35 acres.

Talking to reporters here on Wednesday, Malik Tahir Khattak said a separate feeder had been installed with a cost of Rs14.5 million and work on provision of gas facility was under progress for which a payment of Rs4.5 million had been made, and it would be commissioned in the current month.

He said the estate was facing acute shortage of staff and a police checkpost was needed for security of the investors for which he had written to the department concerned and the district police officer.

Mr Khattak said with the establishment of industries it would bring prosperity, development and address the problem of unemployment to major extent in the district.

Official says the estate faces water shortage and lacks police checkpost

He said by 2015 only two factories could be established in the dormant zone since 1983 and now work was underway on setting up 27 more units.

ROAD RECONSTRUCTION SOUGHT: Kachai union council nazim Mukhtar Ali Advocate has demanded reconstruction of a dilapidated road and replacement of decades-old rusted water pipes.

Talking to reporters on Wednesday, he said Kachai was the last village of Kohat bordering Orakzai tribal district, but the elected representatives had ignored the area.

He said the 12-kilometre road was constructed in 1982, but no repairs were carried out, lamenting that it took hours to cover the 40-minute journey to the district headquarters.

Similarly, he said the water pipeline laid in 1980 had got rusted and leaked at several places, also mixing with drain water, which caused diarrhea and hepatitis among the children and elderly.

He said despite repeated complaints the public health engineering department paid no attention.

ELECTION SYMBOLS ISSUED: District election commissioner Habibur Rehman on Wednesday allotted election symbols to the candidates and issued final list of contestants for the by-elections of local government scheduled for Dec 23.

He declared five councillors elected unopposed, saying by-election on two seats of female councillors of Shahpur and Gumbat had been cancelled as no candidate filed nomination papers.

He said papers of a candidate for Jabbi youth councillor slot were rejected as he was underage, and no other candidate filed papers on the seat.

He said the constituencies where candidates were elected unopposed in Kohat tehsil were Jabbi, Lachi Bala-2, Shakardarra-1, and Rehmanabad. The winners were elected on seats of farmer, youth and general councilor.

Published in Dawn, December 6th, 2018