MANSEHRA, Sept 10: Commissioner, Hazara, Abid Ali Khan asked the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government on Tuesday to restart work on the Rs4 billion package for Torghar, which was announced at the time of giving it a status of settled district in late 2011.

“I will take up with the government the suspension of tendering process of Rs700 million projects by planning and development department as this amount is part of the Rs4 billion package announced by the government at the time of changing the tribal status of Kala Dhaka to a settled district of Torghar,” said Mr Khan while chairing a meeting of heads of the government departments in Torghar.

He asked the officers to perform their responsibilities with dedication so that people of Torghar could get civic services. Mr Khan said that he would ask the government to fill all the posts lying vacant since Toghar was declared as a settled district so that the newly-created offices could be made operational.

The commissioner said that the government was taking steps for establishing Pesco office, bank, landline phone facility and petrol filling station at the district headquarters, Judbah.

Deputy Commissioner, Torghar, Fazalur Rehman told the meeting that of Rs4 billion package work had been started on Rs3.31 billion projects, including the district secretariat. He said that till now 34 per cent work could be completed on these projects.

Mr Rehman said that Rs1.36 million was earmarked for buying equipment and accessories for hospitals and other departments. He said that work was in progress on different projects and schemes related to governance, communications, health, education, livestock, agriculture, municipal committee etc.

He said that 244 schools were also made functional. He said that most of these schools were in the category of ‘ghost’ when tribal status of the area was not changed.