70pc of offices still not set up in new Upper Chitral district
CHITRAL: People of Upper Chitral have complained that delay in setting up of the district accounts and treasury offices has adversely affected the working and service delivery of various departments.
New district of Upper Chitral announced
Booni, the headquarters of Upper Chitral districtZakir Zakhmi, the convener of Tahreek-i-Huqooq Upper Chitral, told reporters that although the bifurcation of Chitral district had been made in March 2019 more than 70 per cent of offices had yet to be established in Upper Chitral.
He said the crucial offices of the district accounts and treasury were set up soon after the posting of the deputy commissioner to any newly-created district to manage its finances and accounts.
He said presently the officials of various departments travelled to Lower Chitral daily travelling a distance of over 100 kilometres in connection with routine works.
Mr Zakhmi regretted that the departments already established in Upper Chitral did not deliver as they were yet to be provided with the resources.
He said the departments of forest, agriculture, wildlife, excise and taxation, finance, social welfare, irrigation, public health engineering, livestock, food and agricultural engineering had no offices in the district, and for obtaining licences of arms, driving and hunting the residents of the new district had to travel to Lower Chitral.
An official of new district administration said the post of district accounts officer had been sanctioned and would be filled during the current fiscal year. He said posting a treasury officer to the district would take a year.
However, he said, the district accounts office could not be made functional without treasury office and dependency on the treasury office of Lower Chitral would persist even if the district accounts officer was posted to Upper Chitral.