CHITRAL: The people of Chitral have criticised the National Highway Authority (NHA) for its negligence to rehabilitate the dilapidated roads across the district.

Riaz Diwanbegi, a former member of the district council, said the NHA had not spent a penny during the past four years on the repair of the potholed Kalkatak-Chitral Road. He regretted that NHA had no office in Chitral, Upper and Lower Dir districts to maintain roads.

Since the Kalkatak-Chitral Road was handed over to NHA from the communications and works department, no repairs have been carried out, he lamented.

Mr Diwanbegi said the people of Chitral wanted the road to be handed back to the communications and works department to ensure its proper upkeep.

He said Chitral-Booni, Garam Chashma and Bumburate roads were also in ruins due to apathy of NHA.

DEVELOPMENT FUNDS APPROVED: Special assistant to the chief minister on minorities affairs, Wazirzada has said the provincial government has allocated huge funds for developing the health, road communication and tourism sectors in Chitral.

Talking to mediapersons on Sunday, he said to exploit the tourism potential in Chitral an integrated master plan had been formulated at a cost of Rs1.20 billion. He said new tourist destinations, including Madak Lusht, were being developed.

He said to promote tourism and local culture, 15 polo grounds had been approved in different villages. He said Re1 billion had been approved for construction of four suspension bridges in Harchin Laspur, Prayeet, Sweer Gol and Arandu. He said roads to the villages of Nishko, Washich, Brep, Yarkhoon and Orghoch would be built.

Mr Wazirzada said in the health sector, Rs200 million had been set aside for construction of a nursing hostel and purchase of hospital equipment.

He said Rs400 million had been approved for rehabilitation of roads, water supply and irrigation schemes in Golen Gol valley.

Published in Dawn, February 10th, 2020