HARIPUR, Jan 2: The district government has stressed the need for a better utilisation of soil & water resources, revival of the sick industries and repatriation of the Afghan refugees.
Speakers at a meeting held at the district complex on Wednesday described non-availability of a share from the hydel net profit of Tarbela Dam Project, rapid changes in government’s policies and inadequate business uplift facilities as some of the major threats to the socio-economic uplift of Haripur. District Nazim Dr Raja Amer Zaman presided over the meeting.
The speakers made certain recommendations, including provision of micro-finance to people on easy terms, establishment of vocational training institutes and a strong water management plan.
NWFP Minister for Tourism & Culture Raja Faisal Zaman, MNA Umar Ayub Khan, MPAs Qazi M. Asad and Faisal Zaman of Ghazi, District Naib Nazim Riaz Khan Jadoon, the DCO, heads of the government departments, and representatives of local trade, industries and farmers’ bodies also attended the meeting.
The meeting also stressed the need for a consensus to devise a comprehensive public awareness strategy and provide better health and education facilities, particularly at village level.
Identifying a lack of irrigation and potable water as well as technical education facilities and poor condition of roads in the district, the participants noted that Haripur possessed a potential for producing fruits & vegetables and developing human and natural resources’ sectors, which needed to be exploited.
These opportunities, they suggested, could be availed only by providing incentives for industrial growth, development of tou-rism infrastructure and construction of a new irrigation channel for Beer area from Tarbela Lake.
The Nazim criticised the practices of the federal authorities for providing drinking water to Rawalpindi, Islamabad from Khanpur Dam by curtailing the irrigation water share already allocated for the local farmers.
He stated that the farmers of the area were being provided only 9 per cent of their 55 cusec share for irrigation, which, he said, was a sheer violation of Article 161(b) of the 1973 Constitution and Riwaj-i-Aabpashi rules of 1906.
He argued that under the law, water rights of the people of a particular area could neither be withdrawn nor transferred to any other area.