LANDI KOTAL: The tribal elders and mine lease holders from Khyber tribal district have expressed their hope that provincial government will maintain the old procedure of leasing local mines to local lease holders after being recommended to the deputy commissioner by the department concerned.

In a meeting held at Khyber House on Monday, Deputy Commissioner Mehmud Aslam Wazir gave a detailed briefing to the participants about the recent passage of minerals amendment bill from the provincial assembly. MPA from Bara Mohammad Shafeeq also attended the meeting.

The MPA told the meeting that a preferential and separate status was given to the new tribal districts in the recently passed bill while keeping in view the backwardness of the region.

He alleged that some opposition members were propagating about unlawful occupation of mineral resources in tribal districts by the provincial government.

MPA rules out occupation of mineral resources by govt

“The situation in fact is totally different from what the opposition is propagating and the mineral departments in all the newly merged districts would refer the matter of awarding lease to the deputy commissioner, who would decide the matter in consultation with a local committee as was done in the past,” he said.

The deputy commissioner said that priority would be given to local people while awarding any new lease and applications from non-locals would not be entertained unless necessitated upon his administration in case of no interest shown from local bidders.

He said that more facilities would be provided to mine owners while recommendations would be sent to provincial government for utilisation of funds received from royalty of all the natural resources in tribal districts on the construction of road infrastructure, provision of drinking water and better health and education facilities.

VISIT: Newly sworn-in woman MPA Baseerat Shinwari on Monday paid her first visit to district headquarters hospital in Landi Kotal and inspected its different portions and sections.

She said on the occasion that she would utilise all her resources to bring betterment in the working of the DHQ hospital as the hospital was faced with numerous problems for a long time.

She said that she would raise voice on all forums for provision of better health facilities to poor and needy patients.

Published in Dawn, November 19th, 2019