C&W dept offices relocation sought

MANSEHRA: Residents of Torghar on Monday asked the government to relocate the offices of the Communication and Works Department to the district’s headquarters, Judbah, so that development projects could be completed within the scheduled period.

“Tribesmen here are without healthcare, education and road services as projects launched here by successive governments are yet to be completed,” Nazeer Mian, a resident, told this correspondent.

A group of locals led by him said that they had taken up the Communication and Works Department issue with Deputy Commissioner Anwar Zeb Khan, who had assured them of relocating offices soon.

“The execution of district headquarters hospital which was launched with Rs 320 million in 2017 and was scheduled to be completed in 2021 but it is yet to be done and tribesmen continue to remain deprived of the healthcare services,” he said.

Another resident, Rubnawaz, that the blacktopping of the Darband-Thakot road which connected Torghar with the rest of the Hazara division through the Karakoram Highway and Hazara Expressway, was yet to be completed.

“The work on this project which was inaugurated with Rs580 million funds some two years ago has also been suspended by the contractor for the last four to five months depriving locals of travelling services,” he said.

He said the infrastructural development and construction of schools in an erstwhile tribal belt, Torghar, were delayed owing to a shortage of funds.“The government should ensure an early relocating of Communicator and Works Department’s offices in Judbah and address

the funds shortage issue,” he said.