KOHAT: The social welfare department distributed food packages among the families of orphans and the destitute people here on Wednesday.

The recipients of the packages worth Rs5,000 each were staying at the Welfare Home, Kohat, which has now been closed due to the second Covid-19 wave.

In a statement issued here, social welfare officer Hussain Khattak said the package was distributed on the directives of the director social welfare department and the deputy commissioner as after closure of the welfare homes the burden of orphans had fallen on the poor families.

He said the poor families would continue to get help as long as the second coronavirus wave continued.

OPEN KUTCHERY: The traders and members of the lawyers fraternity on Wednesday accused the revenue staff of demanding bribes in processing of land transfer deeds.

They aired their grievances at an open kutchery called by assistant commissioner Talha Zubair on the directives of Kohat division commissioner Syed Abdul Jabbar following suspension of a patwari by the chief minister on a complaint on his portal the other day. The CM has also ordered an inquiry against the revenue official.

Israr Shinwari, secretary general of Grand Business Alliance, said a cleanup operation was needed to purge the revenue department of the black sheep. He said rates had been fixed for land transfers and demarcations, but the revenue officials were not abiding by the official directives.

Abdur Rauf, a lawyer, alleged that officials at the tehsil revenue office took bribe to process the cases.

AC Talha Zubair, after listening to the complaints of the people, directed the tehsildar to constitute a commission for demarcation of the land and resolving other land-related matters.

Published in Dawn, December 3rd, 2020