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Swat people reconstructing road on self-help basis

Each family in the area donates Rs5,000 for the project By Our Correspondent 2014-04-02
MINGORA: The residents of Bodigram area in Matta subdivision have started work to reconstruct and widen about two kilometres road on self-help basis instead of waiting for the government.

Sangeen Khan, a local elder, told Dawn that the road connected more than 8,000 households of Bodigram with Matta. It was in bad condition since long but no elected representative of the area took practical step for its reconstruction, he added.

Mr Khan said that the road was too narrow and it was difficult for the people to use it for transportation purpose. `We acquired land free of cost and started work tomake widen the road,` he said.

The elder said that estimated price of the land provided by local people for widening of the road was about Rs20 million. `The government should come forward and construct a metal road to insure access to this far-flung area,` he added.

The residents of Bodigram and surrounding areas including Ikram Khan, Ibrahim Khan and Mohammad Khan donated their land for widening the road.

Rahimullah, another resident of Matta subdivision, said that people of Bodigram collected Rs5,000 rupees from each family in the area and started work on the project on self-help basis. `People of the area have been suffering a lot for the last two decades and they have been compelled for taking this step,` he added.

He said that although residents of Bodigram took the step without waiting for government yet it was the responsibility of provincial government and elected representatives of the area to resolve prob-lems of people.

SALARIES: The salaries to more 2,300 personnel of special police force in Swat have not been released since January 2014, creating uncertainty among them.

Special police force was established in 2009 to assist regular police in maintaining law and order in the area. The provincial government has approved a raise of Rs5,000 in the salary of special police force but the decision is yet to be implemented.

Sources said that they were told by the authorities concerned that all necessary steps were being taken in the light of government`s decision. Owing to such steps the salaries of the force were withheld since January.

The personnel of special police forces are disappointed with the delay in release of their salaries.

They gathered at Mingora police station on Tuesday and demanded release of salaries.

DSP Yousaf Ali after contacting the DPO assured the special police personals that their salaries wouldbe released within the next few days.

Meanwhile, unidentified persons issued threatening letters to people living in rented houses at Marghazar Town, asking them to leave the houses within three days.

According to sources, the letters, displayed at 18 to 20 houses, allege that the inmates of rented houses are involved in immoral activities. They would not be allowed to promote obscenity in Swat, the letters said.

DPO Sher Akbar Khan, when contacted,said that he orderedinquiry into the incident. Some internal elements might be involved in it, he added.

Meanwhile, All Pakistan Clerks Association (Apca) here on Tuesday organised a three-day hunger strike to seek upgradation and pay scale.

Apca district president Ali Rahman told journalists that they were struggling for their rights peacefully. The government was not sincere in resolving their issues, he added.