MANSEHRA, May 18: The members of the district council, at its monthly session on Friday, strongly criticized the government agencies for not solving the problems of the people.  

The district council members, most vocal among whom was Khalid Javed Khan, Nazim of Union Council No.3, particularly slammed the performance of education and health departments, the Peshawar Electric Supply Company (Pesco) and the Tehsil Municipal Administration (TMA), Mansehra.

They lamented that teachers had not been appointed against district education department’s 1,700 vacancies that had been lying vacant for many years for reasons best known to the authorities concerned.

They observed that the shortage of teachers had adversely affected the performance of schools on one hand and had rendered hundreds of trained teachers jobless on the other.

The council members lambasted Pesco for undeclared loadshedding for five to seven hours everyday, which, they said, had caused great hardships to the people.

They also criticized Pesco for wrong billing and for creating problems for its consumers.

They took a strong exception to the imposition of proposed new taxes by the TMA, and termed it an anti-people step. They demanded that the taxed be withdrawn.

The council members also criticised the TMA for allowing illegal constructions on Bhoot Katha Nalla, passing through the centre of the Mansehra town.

They said it was not only in violation of local councils’ rules, but was also against the 130 years old traditions set forth for the use of Bhoot Katha as “Shamilat” in the “Wajab-ul-Arz” of the revenue record of the town.

They warned that if the illegal constructions on Bhoot Katha Nalla continued unchecked, it would turn into Leh Nalla of Rawalpindi and would play havoc with adjacent areas in the forthcoming monsoon season.

The Naib Nazim of the district and convener of the district council, Shahzada Gustasap Khan, who presided over the session, urged the government functionaries to patiently listen to the grievances of the elected representatives and to take immediate steps for redressing them.