GHALANAI: Residents of Bondi Kore area of Pandiali tehsil here have constructed a two kilometres non-asphalt road on self-help basis.

Hazrat Umar Khan, project coordinator of Foundation for Rural Development (FRD) - a locally-based organisation - said a village development committee in Bondi Kore had been formed for executing the road project.

He said FRD paid Rs7,500 to each member of the committee through cash-based transfer program of the World Food Programme. “We collected donations also from villagers and hired two tractors and two trucks for the purpose,” he added.

Mr Umar said FRD was working to support conflict-affected population to address food insecurity and rebuild livelihoods under the WFP-Pakistan’s Country Strategic Plan.

He said the Bondi Kore road links the main Ambar-Shabqadar Road.

A villager said the locals had repeatedly requested the local parliamentarians to blacktop the road, but to no avail.

Shah Jehan, president of the 21-member village development committee, said people faced difficulties, particularly shifting patients to hospitals whenever there was rain. He said the villagers got together to start work on the road.

Bondi Kore is a far-flung area of Upper Pandiali tehsil with low literacy rate.

Residents said they had no primary school for boys and girls in the locality. They said the nearest primary school was at a distance of about 5kms in Shahbaz Kore area. Also, there was no health centre.

Published in Dawn, September 27th, 2020