Shangla residents, councillors demand infrastructure reconstruction

BISHAM: Members of Shangla district council on Monday demanded the provincial government to start reconstruction of the 150 washed away link roads and bridges.

The councillors, including Shamsur Rehman, Attaullah and Sarfaraz Khan said that the state of affairs was pathetic in the flood-hit areas of the district due to the government’s negligence. They lamented that roads to remote areas have been closed as the provincial government had failed to reconstruct the devastated infrastructure. “The condition of roads is so poor that we carry our patients on mules to reach hospitals,” they said.

The councillors said the district administration had provided six million rupees to the Communication and Works Department for the reconstruction of the link roads but the work is yet to be started even after two months.  They demanded formation of an inquiry committee to probe the matter and bring those to justice causing the delay.

Meanwhile, residents of Shangla district warned the government of staging a sit-in at Karakoram Highway if reconstruction of the lone run-down wooden bridge was not started-the only mean to connect three union councils, namely Raniyal, Kormang and Shahpur with the rest of the district.

They complained that the wooden planks and ropes of the bridge have been broken for the last few months but the government is yet to take any action.The protesters set for the government a five-day deadline to start work for the reconstruction of the damaged bridge.  They said people have no other option to cross the river except using the weakened bridge.