MANSEHRA: Commissioner of Hazara Division Zaheerul Islam on Friday directed the deputy commissioners and heads of government departments in Upper and Lower Kohistan and Kolai-Palas districts to ensure the speedy reconstruction and rehabilitation of the infrastructure damaged by flash floods in the last one year.

“I won’t tolerate any negligence in reconstruction and rehabilitation of flood-hit infrastructure and schemes and will ensure that officials found responsible for the delay are taken to task,” he told those DCs and departmental heads of Upper Kohistan during a meeting here.

The commissioner asked district administrations to compile rehabilitation reports and submit them to him without delay, according to an official statement.

He said the DCs should hold meetings every month to check progress on the rehabilitation and reconstruction work and should involve the Provincial Disaster and Management Authority in that work.

Commissioner warns officials over negligence in work

Mr Islam said the funds released by the PDMA for flood-hit infrastructure’s rehabilitation and reconstruction shouldn’t be used for any other purpose.

He formed a committee to inspect development schemes and infrastructure rehabilitation in Kohistan region.

GROUND-BREAKING: Chairman of the Balakot tehsil council Ibrahim Shah on Friday said the ground-breaking ceremony for the tehsil municipal administration’s new offices would be held soon.

The TMA offices were destroyed in the 2005 earthquake.

Mr Shah told reporters here that the provincial government released funds for the reconstruction of TMA buildings on the 18th anniversary of the 2005 earthquake.

He criticised the successive federal and provincial governments for “ignoring” the survivors of Balakot earthquake.

The council chairman said former military ruler Gen Pervez Musharraf not only got donations and financial assistance of over $5 billion from the international community but also ensured their utilisation for infrastructure reconstruction and rehabilitation.

RALLY: The people affected by the Dasu hydropower project on Friday took to the streets here demanding the implementation of agreements Wapda made with them.

They marched on the Karakoram Highway in Kamila Bazaar before blocking the highway to traffic for over an hour.

Local cleric Maulana Noor Nabi, who led protesters, said Wapda formally promised the appointment of locals to the project but later breached it.

Published in Dawn, October 7th, 2023