BUNER: The Marble Association Buner on Sunday blasted the district administration for imposing heavy fines on the industries under the pretext of enforcing environmental protection laws.

They demanded setting up of a marble city, a waste dumping site and chamber of commerce in the district.

Speaking at a meeting here, the association’s office-bearers expressed concern over frequent raids on marble factories and said the successive governments had failed to set up a site for dumping industrial waste.

They argued that the industry was feeding thousands of families and generating billions of rupees revenue, but the government instead of facilitating the business community was minting money from them.

They said environmental protection laws were implemented in Buner while such industries in other districts were exempted from such regulations.

They urged the elected representatives to protect the industry from collapse.

The marble association’s president Murad Khan, general secretary Arshad Iqbal, senior vice presidents Khurshed Khan, Barkat Ali, vice president Musa Jan and finance secretary Ziaur Rehman spoke on the occasion.

COUNCILLORS URGED TO HELP END CRIMES: District police officer Shahid Ahmed Khan on Monday urged the Buner council members to play role in ending social crimes.

He made the demand while briefing the council members at a session convened to discuss law and order situation in the district.

Convener Yousaf Ali Khan chaired the meeting.

He said dispute resolution councils had resolved hundreds of disputes with mutual understanding between the rival parties. The police officer said public support was must to rid the society of unwanted elements.

He said police were holding open kutcheries to not only resolve the issues facing the people, but also enhance police-public liaison.

The councillors assured support to the police in maintaining law and order.

They also called for curbing drug use among youth, busting anti-social elements, improving traffic system and enhancing number of personnel at the checkposts.

The members complained about delay in release of development works, absence of departments’ heads from council sessions, MPs’ interference into the affairs of education and health departments.

The convener said a special committee would be formed to make the departments’ heads to be answerable to the councillors.

Published in Dawn, January 29th, 2019