People protest embezzlement of funds in Mansehra

MANSEHRA: Locals led by a village council nazim have threatened to stop work on the Rural Health Centre in the area if the provincial government doesn’t initiate an inquiry into the alleged embezzlement of funds in construction of the lone hospital in the tehsil.

“The contractor, hand in glove with the Health Department, is using substandard material in construction of RHC but the government is not taking any action against them and now we would forcibly stop work on it,” Hamid Rasool, the nazim village Mera Madakhail, told reporters in Torghar on Sunday.

Flanked by people, Rasool said that the land acquired for the construction of the centre was incompatible with needs for construction of a rural health centre where healthcare and treatment services would be catered to locals.

“A portion of the building, which is completed so far, may collapse any time due to substandard material,” he said.

Hamid Rasool said that the boundary-wall had already developed cracks before start of the hospital but even then neither the Health Department nor Anti-Corruption Establishment were ensuring standard work on the hospital, which could cater to the needs of the people of entire tehsil.

The nazim said that construction work on the rural health centre would be stopped today (Monday) until officials concerned rushed to the spot and initiate legal action against the contractor and those behind him in the health department.