KHYBER: Traders expressed displeasure over the ‘poor performance’ of tehsil municipal authority (TMA) and elected representatives of local government during their first meeting with PMA-elect from PK-71 in Bara on Thursday.

The representatives of traders including Ali Mohammad, Miraj Afridi, Saeedullah Afridi and Ejaz Afridi told MPA-elect Abdul Ghani Afridi that TMA and local government members failed to provide any relief to them. They said that unjust taxes were imposed on shopkeepers, handcart pushers and transporters.

They alleged that TMA and district administration were not extending them any cooperation while the elected members of the local government were also hand and glove with them in robbing traders in the name of so-called development and beatification schemes.

“The entire Bara bazaar has become a heap of garbage due to absence of sanitation staff while there is no proper system for rainwater drainage which inundates most of the shops and streets during rain,” they said.

Traders suggested to the MPA-elect to relocate the newly-established taxi stands to their older locations and convene a joint meeting of the representatives of Sipah and Shalobar tribes to ascertain their opinion on matters pertaining to Bara bazaar as the vicinity was their joint property.

Abdul Ghani assured traders that all their issues would be resolved on priority basis.

Meanwhile, agriculture department arranged a daylong seminar for farmers of Bara and Tirah to inform them about modern techniques in the field of farming and better use of seeds and fertilisers.

Farmers from Tirah and upper Bara were also provided with an opportunity to showcase their agricultural products, herbs and indigenous farming tools at stalls established on the occasion.

The district director of agriculture, Ziaul Islam Dawar, said on the occasion that practical steps were taken to provide modern and better facilities to farmers alongside quality seeds and fertilisers to increase agricultural yields. It would help in augmenting their monetary earnings, he added.

He said that the department was also focusing on grafting of wild olives in both Tirah and upper Bara.

Published in Dawn, February 16th, 2024