KOHAT: The outgoing district nazim Naseem Afridi has alleged that during the four-year term only 30 to 40 per cent funds were released to the local government against its due share, which hampered completion of hundreds of schemes.

Speaking at the farewell session of the district council here on Tuesday, he said with the funds they received they could not construct basic health centres, schools, a university, college or hospital. He said the district government had also allocated funds for the dissolved departments like health and education.

The session was presided over by convener Haji Abdur Rasheed and was also addressed by Maulana Niaz Mohammad, who remained district nazim for the first two years, and councillors.

He said the district government could not come up to the expectations of people due to paucity of funds. He said though the power sector was not responsibility of the district government even then he had provided 132 transformers and electricity poles across the district.

SECURITY AT BANKS REVIEWED: District police officer Wahid Mehmood on Wednesday reviewed the internal and external security at the government and private banks on Wednesday.

The DPO visited banks’ counters and the strong room and checked the procedure of depositing and encashment of money. He also asked queries from the clients. He asked managerial staff to open the strong room at random hours and change the concerned staff on a daily basis as a precautionary measure. He asked the police and private guards to remain vigilant all the time and allow people inside the banks after proper frisking.

He asked the managers to push a mobile button, a service provided to all the banks, in case of any untoward incident and the police force would be there at any time.

ARMS SMUGGLING BID FOILED: The police foiled an attempt of smuggling a cache of arms and ammunition in a car from Darra Adamkhel to Punjab at Spina Thana on Wednesday.

DPO Wahid Mehmiood told journalists that the Darra police acting on a tip-off stopped a suspicious car at Spina Thana on the Indus Highway, and during search found seven Kalashnikovs, eight pistols, 40 chargers and 2,200 cartridges of different bores.

He said the police arrested two carriers and impounded the car. The accused were identified as Mohammad Khan and Waris Khan, residents of Peshawar.

SHOPS SEALED: The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Halal Food Authority staff sealed four shops, including a bakery, and seized 220 packets of fake popcorns and dried milk and imposed heavy fines on many shopkeepers in Lachi tehsil.

Published in Dawn, August 28th, 2019