MANSEHRA, Nov 6: The people of Kohistan, including lawyers, on Tuesday demonstrated against Earthquake Reconstruction and Rehabilitation Authority over the alleged abandoning of the Thakot-Dassu Left Canal Bank Road reconstruction plan.

They warned that they would block work on all other Erra projects if the said Rs 833 million reconstruction plan was discarded.

“We have learnt from the relevant officials that Erra has dropped Thakot-Dassu Left Canal Bank Road from its reconstruction strategy. The road is the backbone of the district and if it is not rebuilt, the people (of Kohistan) will restrict work on Diamer-Bhasha and Dassu dams and other development schemes in the district,” MPA Abdul Sattar Khan told protesters here.

Besides Mr Khan, former district nazim of Kohistan Saifur Rehman, former provincial minister Maulana Asmatullah and chairman of the Movement for Thakot-Dassu Left Canal Bank Road Reconstruction Gul Badshah also spoke on the occasion.

The protesters, who gathered outside the press club, shouted slogans against Erra and Provincial Earthquake Reconstruction and Rehabilitation Authority.

They said Kohistan was among the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa districts, which were devastated by the Oct 2005 earthquake, but Erra had ignored it to the misery of locals, who were without health care, education, roads and other facilities.

The protesters said Thakot-Dassu Left Canal Bank Road, which linked five valleys with Dassu, the district headquarters, was the dream of the people in the district but Erra had left it out of the reconstruction strategy.

They said the Erra move was unacceptable to the people of Kohistan and that they would resist it.

They demanded that the prime minister look into matter and order early start of work on the said road.

CNG PRICE NOT CUT: Even days after the 35 per cent reduction in CNG price, transporters and cabbies have yet to transfer the benefit to commuters in Mansehra district.

Local residents led by Mohammad Yasir told reporters here that transporters had yet to slash fare despite a reduction in CNG price.

They said taxi drivers, too, had been overcharging commuters.

The locals said the intra-city fare had been reduced by district coordinator officer Dr Amber Ali Khan.

They demanded immediate cut in transport and taxi fares in line with the 35 per cent reduction in CNG price.