Balakot road project: Affected people seek compensation according to market rates

MANSEHRA: The residents of the Ghanool area in Balakot tehsil on Saturday warned the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government of launching a street agitation and move the Peshawar High Court if rates of their land acquired for the construction of a road under the tourism exploration initiative were not raised.

“The district administration had imposed section-4 on our land some five years ago, and we are still without its prices,” Muqadar Hussain Mughal, the chairman of Ghanool Village Council, told reporters here.

He said that the government had launched Rs650 million road projects in their area under its tourism exploration initiatives but it was yet to be completed.

“The then chief minister had inaugurated this artery to link the area with Mansehra-Naran-Jalkhad Road some almost five years ago. Though its execution resumed earlier this month, we are still waiting for the compensation,” Mughal said.

He said that the district administration had been offering them Rs276000 per kanal which was unacceptable to them at any cost.

“The Ghanool is also a tourism attraction as Kaghan valley and its land rates are Rs4 million per kanal and the government should pay us the market price for our land,” Mughal said.

Sardar Haroon Awan, a local, said the government should pay them the market price of their land, otherwise, they would come onto the streets against that injustice.

Malik Amjad Saleem, another local, said they had also taken up the issue with the deputy commissioner but to no avail. “We have now decided to launch a street agitation and move the PHC seeking the price of Rs4 million per kanal for our land acquired for Ghanool-Paprang Road,” he added.