KOHAT, May 31: Several local elders have demanded of the Peshawar Electric Supply Company to expedite work on the new under-construction grid for making it operational so that smooth electricity supply to Hangu and parts of Kohat could be ensured.

They claimed that over 90 per cent work had been completed on the new grid being constructed near the KDA Town.

Speaking at the installation ceremony of a transformer at Kohat grid station, former Ustarzai nazim Mehtabul Hassan and other elders urged the Pesco chief engineer to expedite work on the 132 KV grid station, which would solve the low voltage and loadshedding problems in 22 villages of Kohat and adjoining Hangu district. Maulana Abdul Jalil and Gul Agha also spoke on the occasion.

They hailed the efforts of Pesco staff for restoring power supply to Hangu and adjoining areas after a huge fire destroyed transformer of Hangu at the Kohat grid station. They also demanded a separate supply line for Hangu from the new grid.

Officials said that the new grid had been completed and supplying power to only phase-II of the KDA Town. They said that soon loads of other areas and Hangu district would be put on it to solve the problem of outages and lower voltage.

They said that work on the new grid station had been stopped several times during last four years due to paucity of funds.

HEALTH WORKERS: About 46 community workers who completed their training under the Maternal, Newborn and Child Health (MNCH) programme were provided kits, books and work stations.

In this connection, a workshop was held in Women and Children Hospital, Kohat, on Thursday.

The students were trained in the fields of lady health supervisor (LHS), lady health visitor (LHV) and community workers. Eleven students from Hangu and 35 from Kohat district would now serve in their respective union councils.

Provincial MNCH programme coordinator Dr Khayal Afridi and executive district officer, health, Dr Habib Jan spoke on the occasion.