Delay in road project flayed

CHITRAL: Former tehsil nazim Sartaj Ahmad Khan has expressed deep concern over the extraordinary 15-year delay in the construction of the Booni-Bozund Road in Upper Chitral.

Despite the prolonged inaction at the project site, the Communication and Works (C&W) Department has reportedly released an advance payment of Rs140 million to the contractor, sparking frustration and disappointment among the residents of Torkhow valley.

In a formal letter addressed to the provincial Ombudsman and the director of Law and Human Rights of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Khan has outlined the key facts surrounding the stalled infrastructure project. He urged the authorities to take immediate steps to complete the road, emphasizing its critical role in improving local connectivity, boosting economic activity and reducing poverty in the region. He recommended that the asphalt plant and related machinery be urgently moved to the site so that work can begin on the 7 kilometers of asphalt paving and 6 kilometers of compaction, for which payments have already been made. He stressed that timely action would provide much-needed relief to the area’s residents and accelerate development in various sectors.