SWAT: Daily wage employees of the Saidu Group of Teaching Hospitals protested here on Tuesday against consistent delays in payment of their wages.

Holding placards bearing slogans in favour of their demands, the daily wage employees said while their monthly salary was supposed to be fixed at Rs32,000, the hospital management only paid them Rs25,000.

They claimed that the hospital administration threatened them with termination when they complained about not being paid as per the government-fixed minimum wage of Rs32,000.

The protesting daily wagers urged the authorities concerned to look into the matter.

Mingora mayor Shahid Ali Khan contacted the medical superintendent of the hospital, urging him to address the issue promptly.

REPAIR OF ROADS: Deputy commissioner Shahzad Mehboob has said that roads leading to tourist resorts will be repaired soon to promote tourism in the district.

He said this while chairing a meeting in Kalam here the other day. The deputy director of Upper Swat Development Authority, Karamat Ali, the assistant commissioner of Bahrain, Sikandar Khan, officials of various departments including communication and works, Pakhtunkhwa Highways Authority, National Highways Authority, tehsil municipal administration and representatives of Kalam Hotel Association attended the meeting.

Karamat Ali briefed the meeting about the situation of blocked roads leading to several tourist destinations such as Mahudand, Gabral and Badgoi Pass.

He highlighted the impact of closure of roads on tourism.

He said that recent heavy rains and floods severely damaged almost all roads leading to tourist resorts.

The deputy commissioner issued directives to relevant officials to repair the damaged roads to promote tourism. He warned them against negligence, underscoring the administration’s unwavering commitment to revitalising tourism in Swat.

He said that both the district administration and Upper Swat Development Authority would mobilise all available resources to restore tourism infrastructure.

Published in Dawn, May 15th, 2024