Manchora dam affectees demand prices for lands

MANSEHRA: The affectees of the Manchora dam have warned to take to the streets and block Oghi-Mansehra road if the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government doesn’t pay them the price of their land acquired for the energy generation project within next two weeks.

“The district administration acquired our land and houses for the Manchora dam two years ago but we are still without any payment and if our dues are not released till February 10, we will block

the main route,” Raj Mohammad told the affectees’ gathering held at Manchora dam site near Oghi on Tuesday.

Work on the multimillion Manchora dam, which would irrigate Agror and Tanawal lands and also produce electricity, was started some two years ago.

Another speaker, Khawaja Mohammad, said that if government didn’t pay them price of their lands, trees and houses within the next two weeks, they would also forcibly stop construction work on their lands.

“PTI government talks much of justice and people’s rights but if it doesn’t has money to pay land prices, why it launched the work on the mega energy project,” said Mohammad.

Speaking on the occasion, Dost Mohammad said the deputy commissioner, being district revenue collector, visited the dam site and announced to ensure their payments but to no avail.