MANSEHRA, Jan 16: The political authorities have warned the people of the tribal belt of Kala Dhaka of Mansehra district to destroy the poppy crop being cultivated in their area.

The political tehsildar Oghi and the assistant district officer of the Frontier Constabulary (FC) on Thursday visited Judbah, Kunar Sharif, Shahdoga and other areas of Kala Dhaka and met the elders of various tribes to convince them to eliminate poppy crop from Kala Dhaka.

The elders, however, told the authorities that they would be able to do so only after taking into confidence all five major tribes of the Kala Dhaka.

They said that they were deprived of their basic needs like health, education and communication. They said that the successive governments had never tried to solve their problems and have always been indifferent towards their miseries.

They said that the people of Kala Dhaka have been compelled to grow poppy due to the indifferent attitude of the rulers towards their plight.

The elders insisted that poppy was the only cash crop and source of income for them, and maintained that depriving them of this crop, without providing alternative means of income, would be unjust.