Drivers forced to build damaged road
CHITRAL, Jan 31: A portion of the Chitral-Booni-Mastuj road at Zait has been cut off due an erosion for the last three years causing hardship for the hundreds of passengers travelling on the road daily. However, despite the passage of so many years the authorities have not bothered to repair and restore traffic on the road.
View Larger Map
Since the about one km portion of the road was eroded, vehicles on the only road linking Chitral with upper areas of teh valley have been using detour via a Shota along the river. Despite frequent demands made by the people of the area to start work on the cut off road and open it on priority basis, the elected representatives of the area have kept this problem at the backburner. Exhausted and disappointed by the willful negligence of those at the helm of affairs, the people of the area have decided to start work on the road and open it on a self-help basis. Talking to chtraltday,net, Maqbol Jalal, the president of driver union Mastuj, said they are going to start work on the road from February 1. He added that he had already displaced posters throughout the subdivision requesting the people to take part in the construction work. He said during the working hours the road will remain blocked. He requested the people of the area to join them in constructing the damaged portion of the road to avoid delays and other troubles while travelling on the road.]]>
Bravo! Maqbol Jalal great Job. I held back comments as it sounded you were also making a statement like elected representatives. I am glad you are a man of words and action. You are 100 times better than the MPA or MNA. It may be only a small patch under one kilometer but you have given much bigger thing to the people and taught them on how to get the things done. The only way to do a thing is to do by own self or supervise to make sure those who are tasked are doing it.
Now teach them to ask questions about money. Their money which should have been spent on roads, who is pocketing it. Having built the road by the people on their own should have taught them asking right question and that would be much more easier and effective.
Just for your information as per C&W department [on their website], they had spent Rs7.5 Billion on restoration of 2010 flood damages till last year. Out of 7.5 billions what was the share of Chitral and what was spent on this road. If you ever come across your MPA/MNA, ask him to provide the numbers. BTW both MPA and MNA are paid monthly salaries and allowances to keep paid staff to keep their voters informed of what is being done.
You may not realize it but you have brought the change, people who were used to making appeals, requesting help or protesting to attract Government attention to fix their problems are now taking charge into their own hands. It will Insha Allah be a new Chitral only because a small group decided to solve their own problems with their own resources.
Thank you Maqbol Jalal and group members!!!