Embezzlement alleged in Kolai-Palas road project

MANSEHRA: Residents of Kolai-Palas district have alleged that a contractor, with the connivance of staff in Tehsil Municipal Administration Palas, allegedly embezzled Rs25 million meant for the widening and construction of a road from Batara Bala area up to Bala village.

“The previous government of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf in KP had approved Rs25 million funds for this road scheme in 2017 but the contractor along with the TMA officials embezzled this money without executing this 3km road,” Sadbar Khan, the member of district dispute resolution council (DRC), told reporters on Monday. Led by Sadbar, a group of people from various villages said that Kolai-Palas was a highly conservative and underdeveloped district and still lacking civic services.

Another resident, Ayub, said that locals had moved an application with the provincial secretary local government department, seeking an inquiry into the scheme and the official later constituted a team led by the TMO Abbottabad. “This team has visited the area and inspected this bumpy road in February this year but neither work on the project has been initiated, nor have the contractor and TMA staff taken to task so far,” he added.