MANSEHRA: The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government has sanctioned Rs47 million development funds for the earthquake red zone areas and other parts of Balakot tehsil.

`Rs47 million have been sanctioned for the revival of infrastructure in Balakot and soon the work on specified schemes would be started, MPA Mian Ziaur Rehman told mediapersons in Balakot on Sunday.

The PML-N lawmaker said that whatever promises he had made during the 2013 general elections were being fulfilled and schemes would be launched in the Balakot and Garlat union councils.

He said that Rs8.4 million was earmarked for construction of streets and pavements in Balakot and Garlat union councils as those facilities were not rebuilt since 2005 earthquake.Mr Rehman said that the old bridge in Balakot would be repaired with an estimated cost of Rs1 million and Rs6.6 million would be spent on black topping of Kathsirash road.

He said that the construction of Kuai Satbani road would cost Rs2.8 million and Kundmum bridge would be built with Rs2.2 million. He said that Shawal road, Talhatta road, Satbanni road, Ghanool road, Bigar road and Dogha road would also be renovated.

The MPA said that the land of New Balakot City housing project was still occupied by landowners despite receiving payments. He urged Chief Minister Pervez Khattak to take personal interest in clearing the land for the housing project.

PROTEST: A crowd of local people of Rashang area in Allai tehsil of Battagram, who had gathered to welcome Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf chief Imran Khan and Chief Minister Pervez Khattak, resorted to chanting slogans against them after the announcement that the visit had been cancelled.

The local people started shouting `Go Imran go` slogansafter the tehsil administration announced that the PTI chief`s visit and the inauguration of three mini hydropower projects in the area had been cancelled.

`We had started preparations to welcome Mr Khan for the last couple of weeks, but he postponed his scheduled visit to inaugurate hydropower projects,` said Abaidur Rehman, the nazim of Rashang village council.

He said that work on 75KW Pitaw small hydropower project, 150KW Rashang hydropower project and 500KW Biyara project was completed in October last year and over 2,000 household were supposed to get electricity, but Mr Khan delayed the inauguration.

Khan Bahadar, a tehsil councillor of PTI, said that if Mr Khan couldn`t reach owing to his engagements the chief minister should have come to attend the public gathering in Alai tehsil of Battagram.

According to the tehsil administration, both the PTI leaders were also scheduled to perform groundbreaking of five schools and three basic health units in the tehsil.