KOHAT: The wholesale dealers, who have invested millions of rupees in the new government-operated fruit and vegetable market, have expressed concern about inordinate delay in its completion since 2008.

In a statement issued here on Friday, president of the market, Fayyaz Khan Afridi regretted that a private fruit market had been allowed to operate despite the fact that traders had made huge payments for over 100 shops in the government facility.

Mr Afridi said the investors had been reminding the tehsil municipal administration of its duty to complete the work on the market so they could shift their businesses there, but to no avail.

He said despite orders of the Peshawar High Court to the contractor to complete the remaining work the administration remained callously unmoved.

TMA flayed for not acting against contractor despite court orders

He demanded that the TMA implement the directives of the PHC and close down the illegally-run private market. He said as the private market was situated in the city more and more people were attracted to it as it had all the required facilities.

Mr Afridi said under the BOT terms the contractor was bound to hand over the complete market to the TMA.

He alleged that the administration was not taking any action against the contractor despite court orders.

MS DENIES ALLEGATIONS: Medical Superintendent of Kohat Teaching Hospital, Dr Raheem Khattak, in a social media message on Friday, rejected the impression created in a section of media that he was responsible for sorry state of affairs at the health facility.

It is important to mention here that a video leaked from the quarantine ward set up at the hospital caused uproar in the society as used medical suits meant to be burnt in incinerator were lying on the counter, the bathrooms were broken and stale food was lying on the tables. “Ironically I am being blamed for Covid-19 deaths and poor hygiene condition at the quarantine centre,’’ he said, adding the administration had tasked the social welfare department with managing the food distribution because patients were not satisfied with food given to them from the hospital’s canteen. ‘’Saving humanity is the foremost duty of a doctor, but accusing him of causing the deaths is extreme injustice,” he said.

He recalled that his criticism started when some Tablighee Jamaat members were sent back to Darra Adamkhel after taking their samples as later they tested positive for Covid-19, and thus were brought back to the isolation ward by the district administration.

He said the hospital was blamed for the incident and an inquiry had been ordered against him.

About referring patients to Peshawar, he said being a tertiary hospital and with lack of facilities the doctors had to refer serious patients to Peshawar.

Published in Dawn, May 23rd, 2020