PESHAWAR, March 4: The union councils' nazims of Lakki Marwat would set up a hunger strike camp along the Bannu-Dera Ismail Khan road to protest against the provincial government's move of not allocating funds for the polytechnic institute in the district.

According to an official handout issued by the district government, Lakki Marwat, the nazims and naib-nazims of the union councils would observe hunger strike against the provincial government's move of diverting the polytechnic institute's funds to Dir (upper) - the home constituency of the provincial minister for finance, Sirajul Haq.

The scheme of setting up of the polytechnic institute had been approved by the previous provincial government with an estimated cost of Rs70 million. A sum of Rs10 million had also been earmarked under the last financial year's ADP for the scheme, however, the funds could not be utilized owing to hurdles created by the provincial government.

The handout quoting official sources contained that the finance minister diverted the funds to his home constituency after being pressed hard by his party legislators. "The provincial government transferred the amount to the Dir (upper) district to please members of the provincial assembly," the handout said.