Two govt depts at loggerheads in Charsadda

CHARSADDA: Two government departments are at loggerheads over the issue of utilising building materials (sand) for constructing flood protection bund in Sardaryab in Charsadda district.

According to details, the Mines and Minerals Department had charged the Irrigation Department for constructing a 8000-feet long Flood Protection Bund along the Kabul River in Sardaryab.

The officials of the Mines and Mineral Department had lodged three first information reports (FIRs) against the Irrigation Department for excavating ‘sand’ and other building materials worth millions of rupees without the permission of the Minerals Department.

Assistant Director, Mines and Mineral Department, Asadur Rehman, said that the Irrigation Department was excavating ‘sand’ illegally for the construction of the Flood Protection Bund along the Kabul River.He said that Sub-Divisional Officer, Irrigation Department, Iqbal Khan, had been intimated several times asking him to stop the work on the ongoing project but to no avail. The official said that the Mineral Department had lodged three FIRs within 15 days against the Irrigation Department for incurring a financial loss to the government exchequer. He added that for the registration of 4th FIR the Mineral Department had forwarded application to the Parang Police Station.

When contacted, Irrigation Department SDO Iqbal Khan said, “There was no cost and rate fixed and mentioned for the excavation of sand for the construction of the Flood Protection Bund in the PC-1 of the scheme.”

However, former Director General Mines and Minerals Department, Muntazir Khan, said that a government or semi-government department should secure a ‘lease’ before utilizing minerals and building materials for construction purpose, adding, before leasing a site, excavation was totally illegal.

“Under the Mines and Minerals Sector Governance Act 2019 (Amended) a committee is usually constituted to assess the estimate of the mineral resources to be used in a project,” he said, adding the mineral department had a right to sue the Irrigation Department for utilizing the building materials without permission.

On the other hand, the Mines and Mineral Department had also submitted an application to the deputy commissioner to constitute an assessment committee to estimate the cost of the building materials utilised in the scheme.