MANSEHRA: The local body representatives have demanded the right for village and neighbourhood councils to claim royalty on minerals excavated from their respective areas.

“The Oghi tehsil government had imposed royalty tax on minerals excavated in and transported from areas under its jurisdiction but the provincial government set it aside. We demand it be restored or village and neighbourhood councils be allowed to collect it for the residents’ welfare,” chairman of Chansar village council Mohammad Sabir Tanoli told reporters in Oghi on Monday.

Leading a group of councillors, Mr Tanoli said transportation of minerals from Oghi and Darband tehsils to parts of the country damaged the local roads and natural resources but no royalty was paid to the local bodies for the infrastructure repair.

He also complained that the mine blasting and mineral extractions caused water level to drop drastically.

The council chairman said if the village and neighbourhood councils were allowed to collect royalty tax from mining companies, the former would spend that money on the people’s welfare and infrastructure rehabilitation.

HELD: The Lower Kohistan police on Monday arrested 20 members of two groups for trading fire in Pattan bazaar.

District police officer Muzammil Shah said an old enmity between the two groups led to the firing.

He said no damage to public life was reported in the firing.

The DPO said the arrested men were booked under the Anti-Terrorism Act and that they would be produced before a local magistrate today (Tuesday) for physical remand.

Published in Dawn, October 4th, 2022