31 unregistered car wash centres sealed in Peshawar

PESHAWAR: The Water and Sanitation Services Peshawar (WSSP) and district administration sealed 31 unregistered car wash spots in different localities of the provincial capital on Thursday.

Teams led by Additional Assistant Commissioners Shehbaz Khattak, Saman Abbas, WSSP Zonal Manager Engr Turab Khan, Engr Fakhar Alam and others raided hotels, wedding halls and service centres in different localities. The crackdown was launched after the district government decided either to register or close the unregistered services stations, wedding halls and hotels if their owners were not willing to register them.The teams also issued notices to 60 hotels, service stations and wedding halls for registering water connections and warned the owners to get their properties registered within three days. After the expiry of the deadline, the unregistered hotels, car wash and wedding halls would be sealed under the Local Government Act. They were also directed to get No-Objection Certificates for using water from government-owned tube-wells or pumping out water from their own bore wells. Raids were conducted in Hayatabad, Phase-III Chowk, Board Bazaar, University Road, Tehkal, Gulberg, Kohat Road, Nauthia, Bara Road, Umar Gul Road and Nawan Killay.

The owners expressed willingness to get connections registered. Besides, the consumers were also sensitised about water conservation and timely payment of municipal bills. They were told that the timely payment of municipal bills would bring improvement in services delivery. Several shopkeepers were also fined for dumping waste on roads and warned to dispose of it properly in containers or place it before their shops so that WSSP sanitation staff could pick it. WSSP Chief Executive Officer Khanzeb Khan asked the zonal managers to ensure timely recovery of arrears in their jurisdictions that would help the urban utility improve its services. “We clean your streets and drains and provide safe water at a nominal bill of just Rs330 per month to domestic consumers while charge car wash, wedding halls and hotels just Rs5,500, which is not a big amount,” he said.

Court moved against ‘unjust’ distribution of relief goods: Awami National Party (ANP) Member Provincial Assembly Samar Haroon Bilour has filed a petition with the Peshawar High Court against the alleged unfair distribution of relief goods meant for widows and the deserving people. ANP senior leader and lawyer for the petitioner, Abdul Latif Afridi, asked the court to stop the distribution of goods among the beneficiaries as these were not being given to the widows and deserving people. The court issued a stay order and directed the government to stop the distribution. Meanwhile, Samar Bilour told the party workers that the provincial government was rewarding blue-eyed in the “Naya Pakistan.” She said the relief goods meant for widows, orphans and other needy people were being distributed among the PTI supporters. The lawmaker deplored that she had to approach the court for ensuring justice for the people of PK-78.