Rs300 million approved for coommunication network reconstruction
PESHAWAR, Dec 10: Chief Minister Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Pervez Khattak has approved Rs.300 million for the reconstructions and rehabilitation of communication network in Chitral.
Off this, Rs150 million will go to roads and bridges and 150 million rupees will be released to restore irrigation channels and construction of spurs and protection walls.
The chief minister said his government was going to announce a new lease policy soon with a regulatory mechanism and putting some safety walls so that the billion of minerals should not be exploited by unauthorized and the wastage of precious wealth is blocked for good. He also underlined the need of scientific exploration of mineral wealth in Chitral and utilizing its income for welfare of the locals.
He was chairing review meeting on rehabilitation of flood-affected infrastructure in Chitral at CM Secretariat Peshawar. The meeting besides administrative Secretaries of all the concerned departments and district administration authorities was attended by MNA from Chitral Iftikharuddin, MPAs Ghulam Muhammad, Fozia Bibi, Economic Adviser to CM Rafaqatullah Baber, local elite Rehmat Ghazi, Sajjad Ahmad Khan, Abdul Lateef and others.
The chief minister said the developmental and public welfare initiatives would be in the present fiscal space of the province. However he said that rationality would prevail and there would be no exaggeration in any sector. He said financial discipline would be maintained and every penny would be spent on public welfare.
He cautioned that wastage of the resources would have to be stopped and there will be no room for unjust and ill-directed use of resources. Similarly he said there would be no space for wrong. He directed to carry out inquiry against all those who gathered and submitted exaggerated figures about the actual damages done by the floods in Chitral.
Pervez Khattak agreed to open Lowari tunnel for three days in a fortnight and wished that the supply of essential commodities to the mountain locked valley should not be distributed in the odd weather. He said there is Rs. 17 billion reflected against Bhasha hydropower project.
However he said that the federal govt had given words to the provincial govt that if the federal govt failed to spend all money or portion of the reflected money by December 30 this year, then Rs. 7 billion of these resources would be diverted to Lowari tunnel, Lift Irrigation Scheme D.I.Khan and projects in WAPDA.
Pervez Khattak approved to open a new technical college in Chitral while one of the two universities campuses in the district would also be strengthened. However he directed to restrict the skill trades to two or three in the new technical college having a demand in the area. He agreed to give some resources to District Council Chitral and Tehsil Mastuj for developmental schemes of immediate nature.
The Chief Minister directed to exploit the advantages of the scenic beauty and touristic attraction of district Chitral, exploring its potential and making it a wonderful tourist spot as, he said, we can’t sit oblivious to how much perennial earning Chitral can offer to the provincial exchequer. He asked the concerned authorities to early resolve the issue of transfer of PTDC motels and assets and release of PTDC staff salaries pending for past 18 months with the federal govt.
He on demand of the Chitralis, asked to formally request the federal govt to abolish tax on Chitral PIA tickets to make it affordable for locals besides increasing the number of Chitral flights.
He also directed the district administration to give preference to residents of local areas of Chitral in fresh appointments of youth in border police/levies. Similarly he approved establishment of dispensaries in the urgently needing localities besides provision of 10 newly appointed doctors to the district.]]>
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Local elite? The abolition of state in 1969 was for eliminating this elite, ruler and ruled divide but unfortunately the system continues in Chitral one way or another. The inclusion of PTI Chitral Chapter in this governmental meeting shows political immaturity and cheap popularity tactics of the local PTI leaders who hope to win upcoming local bodies elections by participating in government meetings in Peshawar. The Chief Minister KP should acknowledge the mandate of the people of Chitral and include elected representatives of Chitral in decision-making process instead of calling “elites” from Chitral. These so-called new elites have no right to represent Chitrali people and have already been rejected in recent elections. The previous ANP government no matter how corrupt it was used to respect democratic values and respected the mandate of Chitrali people and MPAs, MNAs were consulted on such occasions and local ANP chapter was hardly involved in any provincial departmental meetings. The absence of elected MPA from lower Chitral, Saleem Khan marks a question on credibility of this meeting where instead of involving the local MPA, PTI is getting suggestions from its own local chapter. Recently, a news conference was held where these so-called local elites vowed that they won’t let others take credit of work their party is doing for the people of Chitral. In other words, the neo-elite PTI leaders are imposing a new form of dictatorship in Chitral where instead of elected representatives local chapters of the parties in power would be involved in process of decision making and consultation. Are these the values for which you stood for? Is this respect for democracy and rights? The PTI local chapters are also trying to influence government departments by forming monitoring committees for each department and appointing focal persons who then harass public employees for fulfilling their unjust demands of transfers and appointments of their nominees. Instead of promoting good governance and democratic values, the PTI Chitral leadership is adopting every measure to express its might and power in district Chitral, and in order to manipulate official work they are now trying to grab powers of elected representatives in their hands. These ill practices will be the basis of downfall of PTI’s little fame which it has gained in the district.
Being a neutral democrat Chitrali and having voted for PTI on the NA 32 seat, seeing this term local elite and the press conference of Mr.Lateef threatening elected representatives yesterday, forced me to think that social differences and power structures still exist even now 40 years after abolition of teh Chitral State. These new structures are not based on nobility and blood like State era (the brutal era) but political affiliation, money matters, authority and government. Whatever party we belong to, we should respect people’s mandate and must not react like children. Marginalization of the elected representatives, especially the MPA lower Chitral, and trying to act like elected representatives while having lost elections to them, the recent activities of the self-proclaimed Chitrali elite associated with PTI in Peshawar are a serious blow to the vision of Imran Khan.