MANSEHRA: The Torghar residents have complained that work on the district headquarters hospital has been suspended for over two years as authorities cite the unavailability of funds as the reason.

They told Dawn that the groundbreaking of the project was performed in 2012 by the then chief minister, Ameer Haider Hoti, who promised its completion in two to three years, but that didn’t happen.

“Around 11 years have passed since the hospital’s groundbreaking, but it’s still in doldrums,” resident Zahid Khan told reporters in the Judbah area on Saturday.

He saidthatwhen the people spoke to authorities about the project, they cited the unavailability of funds as the reason and therefore, the caretaker government should release the required money without delay.

Another resident, Rab Nawaz, saidthatthe district didn’t have a major hospital, so the residents had to take patients, including those in critical condition, to other districts.

Authorities insist funds not available for project

“It’s unfortunate that Torghar has no facility to diagnose and treat diseases, and admit patients during the outbreak of diseases,” he said.

The resident saidthatthe ANP government had declared Torghar a district in 2011 and approved a Rs5 billion development package for it, but the residents continued to live a miserable life without basic facilities, including healthcare.

The residents demanded an early release of funds for the DHQ Hospital project.

PROTECTION FROM WILD ANIMALS: Members of the Bumpara village council in Balakot tehsil on Saturdaysought the help of the wildlife department for the people’s protection from wildcats and black bears.

Chairman ofthe Bumpara village council Sardar Waliur Rehman told reporters that wildcats and bears frequently came down from mountains to villages in search of food and attacked people and killed goats and other domestic animals.

Accompanied by a group of councillors, he said a black bear recently attacked and seriously injured a widow, who was the only breadwinner of her family.

Mr Rehman said that attacks by wild animals had panicked the people, who feared for their lives.

He saidthatwildcats, black bears and other beasts lived in Shogran, Bumpara, Mung and Garlat areas of Balakot tehsil.

The resident saidthatthe wildlife department should intervene without delay to protect the population and domestic animals from wild animals.

Published in Dawn, August 13th, 2023