Landikotal residents concerned over poor civic facilities

LANDIKOTAL: Lamenting the performance of the elected representatives, the residents on Tuesday said that the crippling power cuts, drinking water shortages and collapsing health services have irked life in Landikotal.

Talking to reporters at the Khyber Press Club, leaders of the All Khyber Ittehad Committee and tribal youth organisations said that lack of civic facilities and unavailability of essentials have made life difficult for the people. They alleged that officials’ neglect was also a factor of the poor facilities in Landikotal.

Khyber Ittehad Committee’s chairman Mohammad Khadim Khan Afridi, president Rehmanullah, general secretary Hafeezullah Shalmani and youth leader Saeed Shinwari said that the District Headquarters Hospital lacked water, electricity and insufficient health staff, including specialist doctors. They said the operation theatre remained closed and most of the serious patients were still being referred to Peshawar.

“The hospital looks like ruins, with sanitation in disarray. Authorities must take action or resign,” Saeed Khan stressed.The speakers criticised TESCO for violating its promise of six hours of daily electricity. They said that in many villages in Landikotal residents wait 48 hours to get just two hours of power.

The speakers urged the government to immediately complete the Ali Masjid Water Supply Scheme, which has already undergone feasibility studies and pipe procurement.Conditions in Shalman, they added, was even worse where residents have no basic health, education facilities along with broken roads, women dying en route to hospitals during childbirth and inadequate BISP centers where limited devices serve more than 26,000 women.