KOHAT: The residents of Nasratkhel town on Hangu Road here have been facing a plethora of problems, including lack of health facilities and power outages.

Talking to this correspondent, the local elders, including Malik Nawaz and Aamir Bangash, demanded a power supply line from the high tension electricity line passing over the town besides division of the area’s electricity load into two.

About provision of gas to the area, they regretted that it was a local resource of Kohat and they had the first right over it, but they had been without the facility for 18 years since the discovery.

They said that as it was a federal subject they had talked to state minister Shehryar Afridi who had assured them that all paperwork had been completed and soon work would start on the project.

The elders said that they were told that 70 per cent funds for the projects would be provided by the federal government and 30 per cent by the provincial government.

They said that gas to Nasratkhel town would be part of supply to scores of other deprived areas.

They said that the football ground was still incomplete after passage of several years for which the adviser had sanctioned Rs500,000.

They said that the project required more funds as it was necessary for healthy activities of the local youth.

They said that they had to take patients to other BHUs and Kohat hospitals even during emergencies, as Nasratkhel was among those three of the 32 union councils which had no health facility. Similarly, the UC has no building of its own for holding official meetings, which should be constructed before the coming LB elections.

BEGGARS DETAINED: The district administration rounded up 32 beggars, including women and children, under Public Disturbance Act2020 during operations in KDA Township here on Saturday.

Deputy commissioner Abdur Rehman after receiving complaints directed district social welfare officer Hussain Khattak to take action against the beggars.

The social welfare department with the help of police shifted the beggars to the safe home. After distribution of food parcels among them they were freed and asked to leave begging or permanently live in the safe house.

Published in Dawn, July 26th, 2020