Funds embezzled, people build road on their own
CHITRAL, Feb 3: The half a kilometer portion of Chitral-Booni road at Zait in front of Shogram was damaged during the flooding in 2010. Though the road has not been reconstructed and traffic is diverted along the riverbed, Rs120 million sanctioned for the project have already been embezzled, according to the local people who spoke to this correspondent.
-
[caption id="attachment_7487" align="alignleft" width="300"]
![Fed up with government apathy, people construct the damaged road on their own.--GH Farooqui]()
Fed up with government apathy, people construct the damaged road on their own.–GH Farooqui[/caption]
During a visit to the site, people of the area said the contract for the rehabilitation of the road was awarded to Ameerullah, a former UC nazim and a contractor. The contractor, they added, tried to demolish the rock on the road by spraying water on it through plastic pipes and then submitted a claim for Rs120 million to the C&W department. The local people complained that former executive engineer C&W Syed Jalal Jan had proposed construction of the road through the rock but after initiation the work was aborted, wasting millions of rupees.
Please inform the MPA Ghulam Mohammad, that the C&W department claims they till June 2012 they had spent 7.5 billion rupees on roads damaged by the 2010 floods.
Please ask him what he did to get this “half a kilometer portion of Chitral-Booni road at Zait in front of Shogram” included/built when 7.5 billions were being spent?
As we know this half a kilometer the people are building on their own, now can he provide a proof of effort what he did?
Hope he must be aware of C&W targets for year 2012 – 2013 ? I am asking this as the MPA is quoted having said ” “Now I have included this project in the umbrella projects of the district and funds have been approved for it. Work on the road will start very soon,” he added.”
As per C&W plans in writing made public, out of 95 projects their target are only 26 and among them only one belongs to Chitral. These are the following:
70210-Construction of Khan Abdul Wali Khan Bypass road District Chitral. Rs 542.665 millions
In the list of 95 projects, there are three more for Chitral but not in target list.
20792- Rs. 30.60 millions
100037- Rs. 38.76 millions
110224- Rs. 19.93 millions
Now I have no idea this “half a kilometer portion of Chitral-Booni road at Zait in front of Shogram ” falls under which. What I can understand is that all three are not in target for implementation during 2012-13 by C&W.
As honorable MPA is reported having said “funds have been approved for it. Work on the road will start very soon”. May we ask for the number of project?
There are two more road projects funded by Federal Government. I am listing them to avoid mix-up with KPK funded projects:
70216-Improvement/Black topping of Booni, Mastuj Shandoor Road (70 Kms) at Chitral (Federal Cost Rs.491.224 miilion). Rs. 491.22 millions
90417-Widening and carpeting of Booni-Buzand-Torkhow road (28 Km) District Chitral (Rs.279.922 million Federal funded). Rs. 279.92 millions
While checking all this, I noted something and would like MPA to comment on it:
1 – Installation of 50 steel bridges at a cost of Rs. 948 Million. Super structure donated by the UK Government as grant.
2 – Launching of 20 steel bridges at a cost of Rs. 247 Million. Super structure donated by NATO.
I have checked none of the 70 bridges was erected in Chitral, there must be some reason for that. What we would like to know is when our MPA raised the issue of Chitral not getting even one bridge what he did asked for in compensation for his area being deprived of fair share in this gifts for flood affected areas ? Allah is our witness Yarkhun Valley needs them more than any other place in KPK.
This is very shameful for the elected representatives of the area. This road is the lifeline for upper Chitral and the negligence of the authorities in its reconstruction is condemnable.
Javed Karim
Chitral