GILGIT, May 5: The sacked geologists of the Diamer dam project have said that the policy of recruiting local people is not being followed in the Northern Areas.

The Water and Power Development Authority recently sacked six geologists, Mohammad Saleem, Zaib Alam, Ghazanffar Ali, Zahir Shah, Mohammad Bilal and Ehsanullah, who were working as field inspectors since 2000, without assigning any reason.

The affected inspectors said Wapda authorities had handed over the feasibility work to a multinational firm at a cost of Rs380 million and all the required manpower would be brought in from abroad in violation of the government’s recruitment policy.

They contended that priority in jobs should be given to the local people and claimed that experts to carry out work on the project were available in the area.

Northern Areas Legislative Council members have convened an extraordinary session to discuss the matter and condemned the decision. They accused the Wapda authorities of creating friction between the NWFP government and Northern Areas people.