MANSEHRA: Transporters have again demanded an early removal of the Khatain da Galla toll plaza here on the Karakoram Highway.

“The toll plaza should be done away with over the failure of the National Highway Authority to keep its promise to build overhead bridges and underpasses in Mansehra city and its suburbs,” Hazara Transporters Association president Jan Alam told reporters here on Monday.

Accompanied by other association leaders, Mr Alam said the NHA had begun toll collection at the Khatain da Galla two years ago after submitting a surety bond to the Peshawar High Court’s Abbottabad Circuit Bench for the construction of overhead bridges and underpasses and the widening of the KKH, but it had yet to fulfil that commitment.

“In the surety bond, the NHA had clearly declared that it would widen the Karakoram Highway and build overhead bridges and underpasses on it in Mansehra city and its outskirts. Two years had passed since then but those commitments are still unfulfilled,” he said.

Accuse NHA of not fulfilling infrastructure uplift promise

The association leader said the deputy commissioner got the Balakot toll plaza removed the other day, so he should ordered the demolition of the Khatain da Galla toll plaza as well.

General secretary of the association Pervez Khan Swati urged the district administration to act against the NHA for committing the contempt of the court.

RECONSTRUCTION: Flood victims in Kandia valley of Upper Kohistan district have demanded of the government to reconstruct roads and bridges destroyed by the recent floods to ensure smooth supply of food and other essential goods.

Leading a group of calamity-hit residents, Aftab Qureshi told reporters on Monday that houses, roads, bridges and micro-hydropower units were swept away by floodwaters to the misery of the people but the provincial government had yet to act for their reconstruction.

“We [flood-affected families] have been totally ignored [by the government],” he said.

Mr Qureshi also complained about a long delay in the start of relief and rehabilitation activities and said waterborne and skin diseases were spreading in Kandia valley.

He said the Wapda and a Chinese company had announced the rebuilding of the main road but the project would take years to complete.

The resident demanded the airdropping of food, medicines and other essential commodities to the relief of flood victims.

Published in Dawn, September 20th, 2022