Assurance made to resolve Shahmansoor Township problems

SWABI: Special Assistant to Chief Minister on Industries and Commerce Abdul Karim Khan on Monday resented the failure of the Swabi Development Authority (SDA) to provide basic facilities to the residents of Shahmansoor Township instead only focusing on imposing and increasing taxes on the dwellers.

In a meeting with members of the Shahmansoor Township Welfare Association, he was surprised to know that the SDA officials had not carried out any development work in the township in the last two years.

“About Rs1 billion amount was spent on development projects by the government in different areas of the district. We hoped that Shahmansoor Township would have got funds but the dormant position of the officials is really unacceptable,” he said.

Dr Gul Mohammad asked the special told the special assistant that the multiple increases made recently in various taxes should be reversed as the SDA had failed to provide the required basic facilities to the township.

Flanked by the president and other members of the residents association, he suggested that the KP government building bylaws 2017 should be implemented by the SDA and the 1987 rules, under which the residents are forced to pay more taxes, should be done away with.

He elaborated that if a resident’s plot falls short, he was paid according to the rate of 1992 but he was compelled to pay taxes according to the new highest price of a plot (Rs 10.3 million per kanal). He said there was no security mechanism, the majority of electricity poles are tilted and lose transmission pose a serious threat to the residents.

“All the roads are in dilapidated condition. There is no community hall in the entire town and only one mosque,” he said.A faulty sewerage treatment plant was built a few years back and the SDA did not take its possession to date.

Abdul Karim Khan was informed that due to the alleged indifferent attitude of the officials and heavy taxes, no investor turned up at the recent auction.He promised to discuss the problems of the residents with the local government secretary to have them resolved.