KOHAT: The government has approved provision of natural gas to villages of eight union councils located here on the Hangu, Bannu and Rawalpindi highways with a cost of Rs4 billion.

The facility has been approved for Ustarzai Payan, Dhodha, Khushalgarh, Chor Lakki, Alizai, Sher Kot, Nasratkhel and Shahpur.

A statement issued here from the office of State Minister of States and Frontier Regions Shehryar Afridi said that he had held a meeting with Federal Minister for Energy Omar Ayub Khan and apprised him of the areas deprived of gas facility from local fields for the last 15 years.

Mr Shehryar told him that the first right on the gas was that of the residents of Kohat from where it had been discovered and despite that the people used costly electricity heaters and wood.

He said that the federal minister immediately sanctioned Rs4 billion and asked the SNGPL to prepare a plan for provision of natural gas to the areas.

BOOKS SEIZED: The police seized hundreds of books from a warehouse of a dealer in a crackdown here on Saturday. The books were meant to be provided to the government schools free of cost, but they were being sold in the market.

District police officer Wahid Mahmood directed SHO city Fayyaz Khan to check complaints lodged by the parents. The SHO with his team raided Khursheed Bookstore in Zargaran Bazaar and recovered a big stock of free books from several warehouses.

The store owner told the police that he had bought the stock from Nasir Booksellers in Qissa Khawani Bazaar, Peshawar.

The DPO said that the parents had complained that the schools were not providing free books to their children and they were forced to buy them from the market.

He said that the seized books would be distributed among the schools. He said that the Peshawar police had also been informed about the sale of the books.

SPORTS GALA: A five-day sports gala started at the Kohat University of Science and Technology on Saturday.

KUST vice-chancellor Dr Jameel Ahmed said on the occasion that healthy and extracurricular activities were a must for the students as fitness was essential for getting education.

Sports director Mohammad Wajid said that around 2,000 players would participate in the sports week.

He said that they were planning All Pakistan Football Tournament for which they had completed preparations.

Published in Dawn, November 3rd, 2019