SHANGLA: Residents blocked the Bisham-Swat road at Bely Baba bazaar here the other day in protest against unavailability of flour and sugar at the local outlet of Utility Stores Corporation (USC).

The people from Bely Baba, Dehrai and Pirabad waited in the scorching heat outside the USC outlet to get subsidised flour and sugar, but the outlet failed to provide them the essential commodities.

After getting disappointed they blocked the Bisham-Swat road and staged a protest while chanting slogans against the USC and federal government.

The protesters complained that the government was regularly increasing prices of essential commodities and piling up problems for the people.

Naveed Khan, a protester, said he waited in the queue for hours after the USC staff told the customers that a flour supply truck was on the way, but it did not arrive to their disappointment. He said most of the people living in these areas were poor coalminers.

Meanwhile, assistant commissioner, Alpuri, Muniba Fatima held negotiations with the protesters and assured them that availability of the flour quota of local outlet would be ensured.

On this, the protesters dispersed and opened the road.

ACCIDENT: A motorcyclist was killed and a driver of three-wheeler injured in its collision with a motorcycle at Kekor area of Puran the other day.

Police told mediapersons that as a result of the accident motorcyclist Abdur Raj of Baramy Puran died on the spot and driver of the rickshaw was injured.

Published in Dawn, June 30th, 2022